Disgrace
by BriEva
Summary: When Kiba Inuzuka is framed for murder he loses everything. His family, his friends, his future. He'll do everything he can to find the person who made him a disgrace, and make them pay. Even start up a gang with a bunch of rejects and drag his best friend down with him. Sister story of Deceiving and prequel to kizukatana's Deception!
1. Part 1: Sentenced

Sister Story of Deceiving and Prequel/Side story to _kizukatana_'s _**Deception**_.

_"…he's in juvenile detention because last year…he swears it wasn't him, that he was framed, but according to the police records he was arrested for killing a cop in a hit and run."_ –Sakura (_**Deceiving**_)

When Kiba Inuzuka is framed for murder he loses everything. His family, his friends, even the chance at making something of himself. He'll do everything he can to find the person who made him a disgrace, and make them pay.

**A/N:**

**Even before I started **_**Deceiving**_** I wanted Kiba's to be a dangerous guy. I kept bugging kizu to add him into Deception and after she gave me the OK to write **_**Deceiving**_** I went ahead and added Kiba into it. **

**Unlike Sakura's story where her troubles were mainly internal and dramatic Kiba's –while still internal- is more external as his story includes a large amount of other characters directly interacting with him. Unlike Sakura he didn't already accomplish his goals-he's still working on them so it just makes his story more dangerous and longer then hers.**

**Part 1: Sentence**

* * *

"_Snitch!"_

"_Come back here! I can still kick your ass!" shouts out a strained voice._

"_Where the fuck am I going to get my next hit Kiba? Huh were!" complains another._

_I watch, John, Emilio and Chad as the search for me in the parking lot of the ware house across from the one I'm resting in while hiding in the shadows of a broken, dust filled room. All three of them are in pretty bad shape from when I kicked their asses a while ago. They tried to jump me for turning in their crack dealer in order to get the possession charges pardoned from when I stole all their shit and mum found it before I could trash it. I saw the effect drugs could have on a person-on how they can change a caring friend or family member into a selfish monster. Because of this I now intense hatred for drugs. Even something as chill as weed makes me want to lash out when I hear someone smoking it. _

_I shake my head to clear it of those thoughts. Now isn't the time to be going down memory lane. Mentally I check how wounded I am. A little banged up, they got a couple of good hits on me as the fight wore on and I'm positive I'll have bruises all over my body. But after a moment of thinking, I was sure I had no fractures or broken bones. They're searching for me because as soon as I knocked out all three of their dumb asses I left. Now, hurt and wounded they are trying once again to find me in order to attempt to kick my ass in hopes of saving their reputation. I roll my eyes at the stupidity of the thought. Everyone on the block knows I'm the best fighter. The only one I ever lost to is Sakura and that's because when she puts her mind to it she has some freaky strength that hurts like a bitch. One time while I was showing her some moves I swear she broke my arm with the sheer force of her punch._

_Thinking of my best friend causes a painful lurch in my chest. Not one of heartbreak as others insists it is, but one of guilt. Guilt that I couldn't protect her that I failed her, and in return she had to take some drastic measures in order to save herself. _

_I shake my head to clear it again, hoping that I won't go down that rode, when I notice something. The guys' voices are fading. Meaning that they're finally leaving. I sign in relief. If they made me fight them again I get the feeling I would have to seriously hurt them so they will leave me alone. _

I'll stay a while longer,_ I think. _Until I'm sure they're far enough away that I can walk home without bumping into them and starting this all over again. _I send a quick text to mum, telling her that I'll be home late and not to worry. _

_After waiting a half hour I decided it's time to head home when I hear a screaming laughter and an extremely faint sound that sounds like an odd squishing._

_I freeze, completely dumbfounded by the sound. It sounded joyful-yet at the same time in complete agony. A chill runs up my spine as I turn to the end of the hall where I think the voice is coming from. I'm not sure as the sound echoes all around me. _

_Another voice echoes. This one demanding to know something-no not something. It's searching for someone. 'Hunting' is the word it uses. I silently gulp as more hysterical laughter fills the air._

I've got to get out of here_, I suddenly realize_. If whoever is out there finds me I'm toast._ I think the squishing sound is from a weapon, but I'm not sure. Hell I can't even tell if it is a squishing sound I'm hearing._

_Then the other voice-the demanding one- starts to sound familiar. I furrow my brow as I try to think back to where I've heard it before. As it keeps demanding I find myself creeping towards it- curiosity leading me by the leash until I'm in front of a door then suddenly hear a sob I know too well. Panic grips me then, without thinking, I open the door as quietly as I can before slipping into the darkness and silently shutting it behind me._

_I'm standing in the middle of a black room and there's this dull red light in the shape of a door in front of me. Faintly, I'm still hearing the familiar sobs of my best friend coming from behind the door. Worry fills me, making me head towards her. Each blind step I take leads me closer and closer to her voice. Each heart-wrenching cry sends chills throughout my entire body. Every one of my senses is telling me to turn around; to not open that door otherwise there's no going back. I ignore them, though usually my senses are right._

_Finally I grip the handle of the door, pulling it open to the horrific sight before me._

_I find myself in a broadcast office of the warehouse; in front of me is a broken window that whoever ran this place must have looked at to make sure everything was running smoothly. The entire area appears to have the color drained, almost as if it's all in black and while. I run towards the window, while encased in shadows then look below. There in the center of the floor sits Sakura, looking almost the same as the day I found her in her apartment all those years ago. The only difference and color in the room is her hair-which she cut and dyed a light pink the day she left the city- falling freely above her shoulders and the vibrant red paint coating the floor. Everything else, her seemingly white tee, her jeans-is all still colorless._

_"Sakura, what's wrong?" I ask reaching out as she buries her face in her hands. "Are you crying?" It's only then I realize I'm no longer up in the office anymore. I'm a few feet away from her, no more than a yard I'd say. The overwhelming scent of copper fills the air causing me to gag as laughter echoes all around me. Sakura's laughter._

"I'm…I'm not…crying for him."

_The strange sense of de ja vu washes over me at the sound of those words. And like reading off of a script I automatically respond, _"So, why are you crying?"

_She lifts her head, and I start to shake. From her hairline all the way to her chin her face is covered with bright red paint in the shapes of two hand prints. Numb I quickly glance down to her hands, seeing them coated as well._

_An insane cackle escapes her making me look up to see Sakura's bloodies face flung back, her illuminating emerald eyes are wide as tears leak out of the corners-mixing with the gory paint that covers her widely smiling face as more laughter fills the air. Slowly she lowers her head, looking me in the eyes while still grinning manically._

"I'm crying because…I killed him…and I've never felt so happy before in my life."_ She laughs again as I start to panic, just now understanding that I'm standing in a blood bath. I see my clothes soaking up what was on the floor while I frantically search for a body. I find none. Then I notice something strange. Sakura's laugh is deepening._

_Jerking my head up I'm once again in the office, hidden in the shadows but Sakura is gone. In her place is a guy, it defiantly wasn't a girl with all those muscles. He could have been my age, it's hard to tell from the way he too is coated in red. He's wearing the same clothes Sakura was just moments before-but where hers were previously clean his was splattered in blood-with some places heavier than others. His hair seems to be a darker blond, more like that obnoxiously bright yellow rather than Sakura's icy locks. Then he turn to me, making my heart nearly stop for fear of being spotted and the vibrant red that coated almost all of his face, until he continues to look up towards the broken skylight. I swear to god that his eyes, burning with the same insanity that my best friend's had, glows a bright blue as if there was some kind of demon possessing him._

"Finally,"_ he breathes before the sirens blare in the distance. _"One down."

_It's that moment I realize why his voice sounded familiar. That tone, that desperation and fulfillment is the same that Sakura had the day I found her after she murdered her father._

_Then as if by magic the warehouse starts to darken and the blond begins to fade from existence leaving only the bloody artwork behind. However as the darkness swallows up the murder I start to feel a heavy chill. This chill however isn't coming from the cool air. No, it's coming from inside me. As if some sixth sense is warming me about a danger I should never face, one I instinctively knew I would never survive._

_Was I the blond coming for me? Did he actually see me in while I was hidden in the shadows? I don't know, and frankly I don't care. All I know is I have to get out of here otherwise I'll end up like whoever was murdered down there._

_With terror still gripping my heart I did the one thing I never thought I would do. I silently-but frantically- ran away._

* * *

"THIS IS THE POLICE. WE HAVE YOU SURROUNDED."

I groan, shaking my head to try and clear the fog from my mind. _What happened…my mouth feels so dry…Ugh I'm so thirsty and my head is killing me…What's that noise? _I look around, realizing that I'm in mum's car, the clock on the dashboard glows a bright green. 9:09 PM. Suddenly a blaring light blinds me for a moment the same time I hear a voice demanding I step out of my car. Still somewhat disoriented I unlock my seatbelt then stumble out of the car. Groaning, while asking whoever had that damn light to turn it off before I'm gripped from behind and whammed into the side of the old Mazda. My arms are yanked behind my back and I feel two cold bracelets around my writs that close with a click. All the while I'm halfway hearing the words,

"You have the right to remain silent when questioned. Anything you say or do can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to consult an attorney before speaking to the police and to have an attorney present during questioning now or in the future. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you before any questioning, if you wish. If you decide to answer any questions now, without an attorney present, you will still have the right to stop answering at any time until you talk to an attorn-"

Finally a light bulb goes on in my head as I understand I'm being arrested.

"Wait!" I turn to the cop that is by my side. His eyes hidden in the shadow of his hat. "What's going on!? What am I being arrested for?"

His lip sneers in obvious hatred and disgust. "For the crime of a hit and run that caused the death of a good cop and," he takes a whiff at me before jerking his head back then shaking it like Akamaru does when he smells something foul. "For driving while intoxicated."

Frantically I look around, to see if there is some physical evidence to what he is saying is true. When my eyes land on the front of mum's car, I feel my heart drop to my stomach. The front windshield is shattered, the hood dented and the bumper missing.

"I-it wasn't me! I swear!" Thinking back I vaguely remember the nightmare before the sirens woke me and the blond haired murderer in my dreams. I clench my teeth at the reminder of the murder I partially witnessed almost three months ago while running from my so-called friends. I don't know who the blond was, or his victim, but after seeing his gleeful face, one that reminded me so much of Sakura's right after her dad's death, I knew I couldn't interfere. That was a vengeance slaughter and if I were to rat out that guy I knew I would regret it.

Think back further, I order myself. To before the nightmare. It was hard; I was already exhausted as I was driving home after that final encounter with my shrink. The one I was forced to visit after I kicked Hana's boyfriend out of our apartment last year. With a black eye and a broken arm I might add. I thought I could chill for a bit before I returned home to mum's accusing eyes and Hana's glares. I went to the closest corner store to buy a soda, hoping the caffeine would help wake me up. However when I got into my car…that spine tingling chill that I've only felt once before…

"It wasn't me!" I shouted with new vigor and determination as I'm being pushed and pulled towards the back of the white and black vehicle. "Someone broke into my car! They knocked me out! I'm being framed!" I hear a snort of disgust from the female cop behind me as she tightened her grip on the cuffs. I wince.

"Nice try kid, but nobody saw anyone fleeing the area. We caught you red handed." The back of the door is opened and I'm shoved inside the back. While the male cop, who's now in the front seat, continues reading my rights as I yell out my innocence.

My trial came quickly, upon learning my age I was convicted as a minor, they almost had me tried as an adult but luckily that didn't happen. My attorney, Mr. Conan was appointed by the state and didn't believe me after no other finger prints were found on the car except for my families. I said it wasn't me it was a blue eyed blond, but the officials never believed me because of the lack of evidence. The trial took months to get to, by the time I even saw a judge my birthday already passed, making me 16 and Conan pleaded on the homicide being an accident due to my 'obvious' intoxicated state. I was then sentenced to 24 months in juvie. Two fucking years.

* * *

"Mum, I'm telling you! I was framed! This isn't my faul-"

"Stop lying to me Kiba!"She shrieks into the black phone that connects to the one in my hands as she glares at me through the thick plastic window. Her brown black hair, the same as my sisters but darker then min, is sprinkled with silver hair that wasn't there a few years ago. There are wrinkles on her previously smooth face, from frowning and yelling. Stress hasn't been good on her. "You've done this before! Blamed others for your mistakes well I won't take it anymore! The first time it was the drugs-"

"I never sold drugs! I told you I took them from Chad because I didn't want him to get arrested or something while high on that shi-"

"Then you assaulted Hana's boyfriend-"

"He was using her! I warned him not to treat her like shit and he used her for getting his grades up and sex-"

"Now you're a murderer because you couldn't stay sober!" She finishes, shutting me up as I try to force myself to calm down otherwise the security behind me would restrain me.

"You killed an innocent man Kiba." She states. "It was bad enough when your father was a criminal, do you know how much I suffered after the police came to my door and told me my husband was shot down after robbing a grocery store and holding someone at gunpoint?" I see her eyes, the same shade of brown black that mine are start to empty. As if she wasn't seeing me anymore, she saw dad.

"I've had it Kiba. When you get out of here I never want to see you again." She whispers.

"Mum…"

"You're no longer my son." Then she hung up then left.

* * *

Mum never came to see me again; neither did my older sister Hana. All of my friends, the ones who I thought had my back after the drug fiasco, ignored my calls and emails. They wouldn't visit me or write back while I sat imprisoned. The only one who would contact me was Sakura-and she was hours away in a small town near Connecticut so she couldn't do much. She was also the only one who believed me when I said I was framed. But then again I know her past, her deepest darkest secrets, I'm the only one who does; our bond is stronger than blood and deeper than the shallow friendships I shared with the guys at school or my old neighborhood. It isn't love, or well not the romantic kind. I don't know how to describe our bond other than that.

Juvie was suffocating to say the least. We were given two sets of dark blue jump suits, white tees, trunks and socks. All our showers were two minutes long and the food was shit. To top it all off we still had homework and chores to do along with going to therapy and for me an added weekly AA meeting.

The company was horrible, it was like half of the guys were proving that they were hard core, like being sent to juvie was something to be proud of, while the others were scared out of their minds. Some were crazy; you could just see it in their eyes, and others seemed to have just given up as if they accepted this as their punishment for whatever caused them to be stuck here.

* * *

I would dream every night of the three most terrible moment of my life almost every night. I would think of when I found Sakura, when I realized why she murdered her father. I would analyze the night I saw the after math of the blond murderer and the freezing touch of insanity that must have come from him. The night of my arrest I would try to catch some forgotten instant that could have been used to help me in my case.

Each time I woke up I would realize the same thing over and over again.

If Sakura never killed her dad she would have become the blond. If the blond framed me then that mean's he knew I was there that night. And I knew that just as the blond was hunting for someone I was now hunting for him.

* * *

Four months after I was sentenced there was another fight in the showers.

Now granted there have been some guys who have picked fights with me, some were one-on-one others were ambushes where it was me against five or more. The one-on-one's I would win hands down, but the ambushes were tougher and most of the time I would lose or security would break it up before there was even a winner declared.

Though I usually avoided other peoples fights, this one I didn't. The victim was the new guy, he was…well he was freaky. His right arm was completely covered in bandages that he refused to take off when around others. His hair was cut in an A-line look that gave him a girly appearance and his short temper pissed everyone he met off. But as I was getting dressed I heard them start calling him a freak then beating him down, I knew I couldn't walk away. The situation was too much like how I met Sakura.

Almost as soon as I joined in security came to break it up. Luckily I got off easy as one of the officers saw me enter the fight to try and save the new guy. I later found out his name is Sora.

Sora and I were almost inseparable after the second time he was ambushed which I joined in, again, this time I was able to fight before security came. Sure he would still say whatever was on his mind, but he also watched my back and joined every fight that he knew I couldn't handle alone. We quickly became beast at street fighting-I knew I defiantly improved from when I was a kid. After nearly half a year no one would fuck with us. We were avoided.

However, when the ambushes began on other new people I just couldn't walk away from it. Saving Sora gave me the reputation of being a protector of sorts. I was basically forced into fighting and saving others that couldn't save themselves. A majority of the guys were able to hold their own for a while, but when things got dirty and the weapons or back up came I would step in. If I wasn't enough Sora would join in too. A lot of the guys we saved started thinking they owed us, so they would give us extra treats they earned or that were given to them from the officials. Others simply respected us; they would get out of our way and greet us while the rest resented us. Ironically the few that hated us ended up being the ones who me and Sora befriended. Those guys were angry they couldn't handle the situation alone, that they had to rely on others to save them when that was the main reason they were put here in the first place.

The resentful guys, Chris, Mark, Justin, Ash and Jonny, all eventually started opening up to me and Sora. I learned their reasons for being here-parents who hated them or used them, thugs and gangsters who tricked them and set them up, friends who abandoned them…Like me they were all used, they were pissed off, they wanted to prove everyone wrong but they know that now that will never happen. The instant someone hears you've been to juvie they automatically blame you, is you say you learned your lesson they won't believe you. They all think in the back of their mind you're on your way to prison. That you fucked up. It's not their fault, it's yours.

Through that mentality we bonded, we started joking with one another. We all started protecting the kiss-asses, the wimps, and the newest dumbass in the brink. Through it all…we started to trust each other even though no one admitted it was trust.

Sora was the one who started it.

He was the first to open up, to say what he did to get sent in here. Unlike the rest of use though, he wasn't set up. He knows what he did, however Sora was still screwed over. Or well his mom was.

Sora's smart, really freaking smart, so after his mom and him moved to the city he was sent to private school up in Manhattan. However later on in his freshman year of high school Sora was found intoxicated in his school after hours. He didn't know that he ate a special brownie, he thought it was normal, but rules are rules. He was supposed to be expelled.

He wasn't though. His mom came and had a talk with his principal. And so he ended up being just suspended. It wasn't until nearly two years later Sora learned from the janitor that the principal has been black mailing his mom into sleeping with him in order to keep Sora in school.

Pissed off he went to confront his mom, when she admitted it Sora told her he can transfer. She started to shake her head no only to stop when Sora saw something on her back and noticed how sickly she looked. When he asked what it was his mom got quiet. So Sora went and tugged her collar so he could see what it was.

According to his mom the principal was into BDSM, but not the good kind. Sora's mom's back was covered in welts and bruises. So Sora, went to the school and broke in. He ran to the principal's office and trashed the place, pissing all over his expensive leather chair, breaking the windows, computer, awards. Everything was trash, and on the wall he spray painted the words: SICK FUCK.

Obviously he was arrested as soon as the police came. However his mom never showed up at the station. She was found in their apartment dead from internal bleeding caused by the principal earlier that day.

The principal didn't end up going to prison; with his connections to the wealthy he got off the murder charges with nothing more than a slap on the wrist. Since he wasn't married at the time and Sora's mom wasn't there to say she was black mailed into the situation he was able to play the secret lovers card. Pretending he wasn't the one who enjoyed being the dominate one, that Sora's mom was the one who made him do it.

It wasn't until much later that Sora told me what happened to his dad, which also explained to me what was up with his arm. Apparently when he was about five his house burned down. He tried to pull his dad out of the fire but in return not only did he lose his dad but he also suffered 3rd and 2nd degree burns all over his right arm. Making it looks pretty gross with all the skin graphs and scars. Which is why he keeps it covered most of the time, many people after is happened would avoid him. He can't feel much in his arm anymore, most of his nerves were damaged, but after years of therapy he gained nearly all control over his arm and hand. He couldn't stretch his hand out, but he could make a fist. Which when you spend most of your time fighting off ignorant assholes, is pretty important.

* * *

"_So guess what?"_ Sakura cheerfully calls into the phone.

I smile, thinking about what could possibly have her calling me and going through the half hour wait for me to get to the phones from the yard. "You finally punched your cousin in the face?"

She laughs, _"No Ino is too feminine to get in a fight with me. If anything she's the one who starts all the fun rivalries between us." _I snort, knowing that Sakura would love nothing more than to deck her prissy cousin in the face the first chance she gets. After hearing all the stories about how Ino won't stop trying to change Sakura into a girly girl like her I'm surprised Sakura hasn't beat the shit out of the girl. _"Is that your final answer?"_

"Yeah, so what's up?"

I hear her take a deep breath, _"I'm graduating early!"_ She shouts, nearly causing my ear to ring.

"Damn woman! Make my ears bleed why don't you!" I yell out while laughing. I feel a weight lift from my shoulders as an unknown fear makes its appearance. After Sakura committed that murder I guess I've always been afraid she would get caught. That she would suffer worse them I do in a real prison. But hearing that she's making an effort, that's she's actually making something of herself…well I can't help but feel so happy.

"Congratulations!" I say as I finish. "You going to wait for a while or go straight to college?"

"_I'm going straight to collage. I already have a ton of scholarships being sent out and everything so I'm as little burden on my aunt and uncle as possible."_

"You know what you want to do?" I ask.

"_I'm going to be a surgeon. But first I'm going to go to the state university to get my General Ed. done."_

"Why not go to community to do that? It's cheaper."

"_I need to have my own place to stay and can't stand it here anymore Kiba...There are too many reminders of…her here."_

I cringe at the pain in her voice. I remember Sakura's mother, Mebuki was perhaps the kindest woman I've ever met. Though like Sakura, she had a temper and I swear she's the one Sakura gets her strength from, she was still the noblest woman I have ever come across yet. When she died as a casualty in that drive by all those years ago I felt terrible. That was the moment Sakura's terror began and for one year she suffered greatly. Now she's been living with her mother's family for 4 years and with reminders of Mebuki all around her-suffocating her with constant reminders of the beginning of her suffering…

"Okay I understand." A tap on my shoulder causes me to look at the guard who signals my time is up.

"Hey, look I got to go. But call me next week and tell me more about what's going on with school and stuff."

"_I will, bye Kiba!"_ She cheerfully calls out.

I smile, "Bye Sakura." Then I hang up.

* * *

During my second year in juvie I met Chouji Akimichi.

Now his dad, Chōza, was our chef in the cafeteria. One of the chores everyone had was to serve the food, clean the kitchen, and help prepare the food while he does the actual cooking. You know, shit like that. So everyone knew Ol' Chōza. But when his son started volunteering in the kitchen it got weird.

As if Chouji was the new kid he started getting teased, attacked, and bullied. Whenever it was about his weight, the kid would go off on a rant and fight whoever called him fat. He wasn't that great of a fighter so Sora and I saved his ass a few times until we noticed something.

* * *

"Why do you have this on you?" I growl at the plump teen cowering into the wall while Sora stands watch.

"I-I-I" he stutters.

"Chouji! Why the hell are you sneaking drugs into a juvenile detention facility! Do you have any idea how fucked up that is!"

"I had to…" he whispers while gazing down as if he was had no other choice.

"Why?"

"Because…" he gulps before looking at me with hopeless eyes "if I didn't mom would have been arrested." Chouji squares his shoulders looking at me as if daring me to hit him for his stupidity. "Mom got laid off of work months ago and hasn't been able to get another job so dad's been trying to find a second while I tried getting a job of my own. But right before we got evicted mom got a loan. It was from a man named Gato. After a few months, though Gato started to want his money back. We can't pay him back yet. I went to go ask him if he can wait just a little longer and he said he will… if I started running ernes for him…" He looks down at his pocket where he was currently holding the drugs after sneaking it in from god knows where.

"Does your dad know?" I ask. He shakes his head. "I found out because I was the one who drove mom to go see Gato the first time. Her driver's license recently expired and we couldn't afford for her to take a taxi."

I back up from Chouji, thinking back on his story and trying to think of a way to save his family from this mess. I know it shouldn't be my duty to help them. Hell to be honest the police would probably be their best bet, but I know what Chouji is trying to do. He's doing what he can to protect his family, the same thing I did for Hana, Sakura, Sora and so many others. That kind of burden isn't something he should be doing on his own. He needs help.

"Chouji," I start "I'll help you not get caught but I'm going to be getting out of here soon. When I'm out I'll try to figure out something to get this Gato bastard off your back alright? Just hold on for a while longer."

His eyes widen in surprise. He must not have thought I would actually try to help him in this crime. "R-really?"

I nod. "I promise"

* * *

I got out of juvie on my 18th birthday. I was expecting that no one would be waiting for me outside of those gates but I was wrong.

Outside was Sora-who was released a couple of months before me- and the rest of the guys, Chouji and…

"Hana!" I yelled as I saw my sister waiting by the old vet van mum used for work. She looked older then I remembered but also smaller in height. Of course I grew over the years but I didn't expect her to be as tiny as I hugged her.

"Kiba," she sternly says while not returning my embrace. Slowly I release her, trying to take in her sudden reappearance in my life.

"What are you doing here?" I ask. "I thought mum said I wasn't allowed home anymore?"

She glares at me, almost exactly replicating mum as she whispers, "you aren't."

"Then…"

"I came here to give you the rest of your stuff. Mum almost threw it all away but some things she couldn't and as much as she wanted he wouldn't listen to her when you weren't around."

For a moment I look at her in confusion, not comprehending who she was talking about, then I realize who 'he' was, my mouth drops open in horror.

"She didn't…"

There was a booming, deep bark from the van. My expression shifted from one of horror to one of joy. In an instant I ran to the back of the van, practically ripping off the lock then being tackled to the ground by a fucking heavy large ball of fur and muscle.

"Akamaru!" I shout as I'm being covered in dog slobber.

Akamaru is my dog. Right before she left the city Sakura and I found him on a hot summer day on the brink of death. I raced him to mum, saving his life and finding a new best friend to help fill the void when Sakura left. I thought mum would have given him away, or at worse put him down. He is after all a big dog. Luckily he wasn't and he was once again in my care.

Hana and a couple of the guys emptied the van. There wasn't much, most of my clothes were given to good will and so were my shoes. The few boxes that were there had my old video games and game consoles, my lap top, some movies and mainly Akamaru's toys and food. My sister told me once again that I wasn't allowed back home. She and mom had totally written me off, deciding that it was best to keep my things until I was released then they could give it back without guilt. After everything was out of the van Hana left. Not giving me a glace.

* * *

…

**To be continued.**


	2. Part 2: Sinking

**Part 2: Sinking**

* * *

After my sister left I knew I needed a place to stay. Even though my family never visited me, I guess I always thought I could still go home. That mum was lying about disowning me. I mean seriously! Who even does that anymore?

Luckily enough I was welcome to move in with Sora and Justin. Justin is one of the other guys from juvie. He was sent in for shop lifting…from a jewelry store. He too was at the end of his rope when Josh, his little brother was in a fight and needed major surgery done on his eye. Since they're parent's didn't really make enough they could afford more then the basic surgeries to save his brother…but not enough to help make him look normal again. With nothing else to do Justin started robbing and owning off jewelry in order to save up for the surgery. In order to get one final score he grabbed a couple of guys…but this time the cops caught them. Or well caught the guys Justin brought with him. They then sold him out for immunity and got off on house arrest.

Due to Justin's thieving skills he was able to find him and Sora jobs outside of a fast food joint or pizza parlor. However like Chouji's mom it was the questionable kind. They were working for the crime organization run by the most feared man in the city. Nagato.

Now granted they didn't work directly under the man or even his closest employees, it was all a chain of command and they were the man power that did the heavy lifting while working under a man named San. After a while they got me a job too.

I still haven't forgotten my promise to Chouji, I kept up the first part during my final months the second I'm still working on, or my vow to find who framed me. However in order to do either of those things I had to find out more about Gato and try to figure out more on the blond haired guy who I saw commit murder. So far he's my best bet in being the culprit, and until I learn otherwise he is who I'm hunting. The best way to learn about a mobster or a murder is to get close to those in the crime life. Which is exactly what I did.

* * *

"_So how's it feel to finally be free?"_

I'm lying on the sofa in the living room of the apartment the guys and me are sharing watching TV and trying to catch up on life outside of juvie. Akamaru is sleeping on his dog bed next to the wall. In my hand is a Verizon Razor cell phone. A getting out gift from Justin.

"It feels," I pause trying to find the right words so I can explain to Sakura what it is I'm feeling. I was never asked this in the two weeks since I've been out. Everyone who I've been around understood exactly what I felt. They didn't need me to explain.

"Like I can finally be myself." I hear a sigh from her end as she flips some papers.

"_That is probably the cheesiest line I've ever heard."_ I chuckle.

"It's okay, I don't expect you to understand."

How could I explain to her the relief of controlling when I went to bed? On how long I showered? The empowerment I feel when I step outside and can feel the sun on my face without the walls and fences interfering? The happiness when I take a bit out of a slice or a hot dog? I can't not in a single sentence.

"_Well at least you're out of there and can finally move on with your life."_ She says.

"Yeah," I think back to the blond, the blood and the freezing insanity. "I finally can."

* * *

I wake up to the sound of someone banging on the door.

Immediately Akamaru stands on all fours, his white fur bristling as I reach for the metal bat that I keep by u pull out bed. It isn't until Justin comes running out of the room that I relax. He looks at me with an incredulous expression on him face as if I was over reacting. All I can notice is that he is dressed in a button down, slacks and tie.

Shaking his head he opens the door and embraces a bouncing bundle.

"Josh! Hey bro how you been?!"

The pre-teen, Josh, laughs. "I've been alright. What about you?"

"Never better man. Oh hey com'er I want you to meet someone."

They walk into my temporary bed room and I gap at the sight.

The brothers both are dressed in their Sunday best and have dirty blond hair, the same light brown skin and clear grey eyes. The only problem is the shorter one, Josh, has a huge scar on the left half of his face that pulls the side of his mouth into a permanent grin along with his left eye being cloudy-as if he's blind. And with the way he whips his head to look at Akamaru I realize that he is.

"Josh this is Kiba and his dog Akamaru. They're my new roommates."

Josh stares at my dog as if he's in awe. I smirk.

"Yeah, I know. He's huge." All Josh can do is nod in agreement.

"He's the one I told you about Josh." At this the younger brother turned his amazed expression my way.

"Him?!" He exclaims. Then as if he just realized how insulting he sounded he started to apologize.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean-" I wave him off.

"It's cool." I turn to Justin. "A day out huh?"

"Yup, but before we went I wanted you two to meet."

I nod, but just before I was about to tell them bye, Josh interrupted me.

"Is it true you fought off fifty guy from beating up my brother?!"

"What? No." I quickly retort, but seeing the instant disappointment on his face I lied, "I had help."

That one sentence seemed to make his whole day.

* * *

It's been about 3 months since I started smuggling art into the country. San's schedule is really tight, we all have to work at certain times during the week, picking up the various mediums of art at warehouses, on docks or ships and a few times at the airport. It was really risky shit, the kind of risk that gets your heart pounding for fear of getting caught. The adrenaline rush was addicting. Soon, when I was more confident in my ability to steal, I started doing it every day, small things like food or snacks, never anything that's obvious like money or jewelry. You do that and you get caught on some camera. The small things kept me calm when doing the big jobs.

Alongside with my daily routine of robbing the nearest corner store Josh would come visit about once a week-usually Sundays- to check on Justin and bring him to church. On multiple occasions Sora and I were also invited and while sometimes Sora would join them I would always refuse. It just didn't feel right to pray to god when I knew I would been committing more sins in the near future.

Dressed in all in layers of all black Sora, Justin and I are at the docks at 3am freezing our asses off in the cold autumn night waiting on the next ship load of cargo to arrive. We were told that this drop needs to be treated with care and that we needed stay as quite as possible. It was fine, by now we were on our way to being pros.

When the ship arrived we waited in our hiding places for the signal. This time San's boss, Kakuzu, would be personally monitoring the pickup. My bet is the money grubbing ass just wanted to be sure we didn't drop a sculpture or scratch a frame.

When the signal was given we move as silent as ninja's in the middle of the night towards the open hanger where the cargo is being held. It isn't until I hear a few cries that I start to feel nervous. Usually our heists are done in silence, yet now I'm hearing people. A lot of people.

When the first girl is being dragged out, wearing nothing but skimpy clothing I feel my heart drop. This time we weren't smuggling art, this time it's human trafficking.

Justin and Sora stop at my sides, obviously in the same shock as me. We didn't sign up for this; sure the pay was pretty damn good for smuggling art but people? People who were being used and forced into doing god knows what? Hell no, I'm not down for that.

We still haven't been seen by Kakuzu or the others, so we try to just slip away as quietly as possible. Then came the helicopters.

The bright lights suddenly blinded my and my boys as Kakuzu and San was placed under the spot light. I could hear cars and feet as policemen on foot came started to come to the scene. I turn pushing Justin and Sora forcing them to run as I did.

I didn't look back to see if we were being followed. I just led the guys through every nick and cranny, avoiding lights and the sounds of racing footsteps or voices to the best of my ability. A gun shot ran shrieked through the air but we still didn't stop until we found a place to catch our breath and hide. Given how crazy the night was I can't really say it was a surprise to me that we were found. What surprised me was that it was one of the girls from the ship.

Pale as the moon and dressed in nothing more then what could barely be described as panties she shakes as she sees us. Though from fear or the cold I can't tell so my best guess is both. Her hair is dark but I can't tell the color and it is cut in a choppy way around her shoulders. Our eyes widen and Justin almost speaks when she uses one of her hands that was currently covering her chest to shut his mouth as she forced her way into our hiding place.

"Please!" She whispers in heavily accented, but understandable English. "I don't want to go back to my country. If they find me they will send me back." She nearly cries as stumbles into Sora's chest. I look down, trying to avoid her gorgeous ass, to notice her feet are blistered and bloody.

"Kiba…" warns Sora. I bite back a tsk. Looking at the girl I tap her face to get her attention.

"What's your name?" I breathe as quietly as possible.

"Ami."

* * *

Needless to say we took Ami home that night. None of us touched her, even though she seemed to expect it. We each gave her various clothes to wear while we were sneaking away from the pier until she was decent enough that no one looked twice at us. Her hair color surprisingly enough is actually a deep violet-nearly black in its darkness.

No cops came to our place; it was hard to know who we were since we didn't give out our information to anyone but San. On the news the following day of the raid we saw that it wasn't only our shipment that was stopped. That the other four-held in 4 different ports in the city- were also raided. All over the TV we saw dozens of men, women and to my disgust-children, being reported to have been illegally shipped to the country. Kakuzu's picture was being held up as a sign that the police finally believe they could take down Nagato. I shake my head. One thing I learned these last few months is that Nagato won't get caught. If anything he probably set up the raid himself to get rid of Kakuzu.

The last thing we see in the news before I turn off the TV is San's picture and the announcement that he was killed by a gunshot in an attempt to escape the police last night. I think back to the gun fire I heard as I look at San's bland face. Even if it was art we would have smuggled last night I still wouldn't feel anything for the man. He was nothing more then an asshole, however he was also a dumbass. He probably never wrote down the names of who he employed or told the correct ones to Kakuzu as we would always have to remind him what to call us-and we never used our real names anyway so, thank's to his death, we were safe.

* * *

"Kiba she can't stay here."

I look up to see Sora's reflection behind me in the mirror, tooth brush still in my mouth as he glares at me from the door of the bathroom. When I raise my eye brow in question he glares. As if he can force his thoughts into my mind like some kind of power of sheer will.

"The apartment is already full with you and the dog. Me and Justin already share a room and with the way rent is we can't afford anything better. Ami has no papers, no job, nothing! How the hell is she going to be able to stay here?"

I spit into the skink, "I'll get her some papers."

"Really," he asks, tone completely full of sarcasm. "You happen to know someone who can make forgeries?"

"Well no but... look what did you expect me to do?" I turn towards him. "Just leave her there to be shipped back to a place she couldn't stand where she will probably starve to death?" Ami explained to us what it was like back in her home. She was an orphan, abandoned in front of a children's home when she was barely a week old. No one adopted her and when she turned 18 she was forced out on the streets. She couldn't find a job in the small town she was raised in so she tried Tokyo. All that got her was working on the street till she was caught by Kakuzu's men nearly two months ago.

Sora growls reaching out he grabs me by the shirt then pushes me into the tile wall across from the shower. "You and your fucking hero complex need to think straight for once!"

"I don't have a hero complex!" I snarl as I fight to keep my cool and not attack Sora. Whenever me and him fight we always end up breaking things. Not to mention each of us ends up pretty fucked up.

"Me, Chouji, Ami, Justin, the guys and chick you always bring up, Sakura. Even your fucking dog! When are you going to use your head and think about yourself! When are you going to stop yourself from sinking into this pit?"

We glare at each other, snarling still and silently as if one more move would push us over the edge, causing us to attack.

"When," I hiss "I find the blond bastard who ruined my life!" I push Sora back, causing him to nearly fall into the tub. "Because I know it will take a long time. I know I will do things I hate so I'm trying, I'm trying so freaking hard not to become a monster. If the only way I can do that is by helping others? Then that's the least of my worries."

I storm out.

* * *

Needless to say it wasn't long until Ami found a job. This one being exactly the same thing she was brought here to do.

"A hooker?" I look at her in disbelief.

"No," she frowns, trying to come up with the right word in English. "The ones that dance on a pole?"

I relax some, "Oh, so you're a stripper now."

"Yes," She beams, as if she doesn't care if she is dancing around naked for strange men-and women. Most likely she doesn't care, or maybe she enjoys the attention. In her old country she said she was working on the streets, which is how she got taken. So maybe she's an ex-hooker, making a job as a stripper a much better deal.

"Where are you working?" I ask.

"The Wave," she replies. "It's owned by a man called Gato."

Hearing that name reminds me of my second promise to Chouji. And gives me a great idea.

"Hey listen Ami I don't want to be rude or anything but can you do me a favor?"

* * *

It's been nearly eight months since I was released. And since the raid guys and I actually found real jobs- if you call working fast food as a real job. Ami has been working for Gato only for two and she is surprisingly a good source of information. Because she's only working at one place, and not the streets like some of the other girls in her establishment, she really gets to know her clients. And is able to find out small things about Gato and his employees. I still needed more information though, so she keeps getting me information as she struts her stuff.

When I later asked her why she didn't go for a different line of work she said she likes to be wanted. To make men crazy with just a wink or a shimmy as she moves to the music. What she didn't like was the used feeling she felt in her old job. It didn't make her feel empowered; it made her feel weak and the constant fear of diseases scared her to no end. Luckily after she was caught by San she was forced to undergo tests and see if she had anything. She doesn't, otherwise she wouldn't have been taken.

Justin does his best to keep Josh from coming over now. Not wanting to expose to his little brother the sight of a practically naked girl who now sleeps on the pull out bed while I moved onto a futon in the bedroom.

Sora doesn't complain anymore, though that could be because Ami likes to model her latest outfits for us, damn that girl as a sexy figure. But most likely it's because Ami has been able to keep up her share of the rent and been able to get her own food. She even found a guy at work to make her papers. She is now known as Ami Suzuki and has emigrated into the U.S. four years ago from Konoha, Japan.

* * *

So while walking home one night I met this girl…

Okay now I sound like some cheesy chick flick. But that's what happened. Only… she was hot wiring a car.

"Hey!" I shout as I spied her tinkering with wires by the wheel through the window in the back. Hearing my voice must have spooked her for she lets out a curse before she dashes from the car to make a break for it. I chase her, noticing the odd panda hairstyle as we race throughout the alleys while dodging the trash and the filth.

"Hold on stop!"

"Leave me alone!" she shouts.

I huff, forcing myself to run faster. Hot wiring a car? That's a handy trick to know. Especially when I'm going to be needing it later. Out of all the things my friends have done to get sent to juvie, stealing a car wasn't one of them.

"I just want-oof"

I stumble back as I latch onto her leg as her foot hits my gut. After years of fighting that hit didn't do much besides taking me off guard. I yank her close hoping to make her lose her balance but instead she whips out a knife- a real fancy looking one at that. Holding it like a pro she aims it at my throat faster than I can release her.

"Let. Me. Go." The bun head states in an intense whisper.

I gulp. "I will…if you teach me how to hot wire a car."

Completely confused she looks at me as if I've lost my mind. "Huh?"

And that's how I met my future weapons expert: TenTen.

* * *

Sora nearly blew a gasket when he woke up the next morning to find Ten sleeping on the pull out next to a basically naked Ami. But after I explained that this wasn't permeate, that Ten just needed to crash for a few days while she teaches me about how to hot wire cars and hot to fight with knives, he just gave up. Even he could understand the importance of Ten's knowledge. While yes some of the guys know how to us knives they don't know the extent that Ten does. Which is pretty freaking awesome.

With the apartment full to the brim, and the operation to save Chouji almost ready to commence it was obvious we needed to have a place for when the other guys came in. All the rest from juvie that, like Sora, me and Justin, all ended up staying on the wrong side of the tracks. If including Ten, Ami and Chouji that would make a total of 11 of us.

Remembering how rundown my old neighborhood, the Shi No Mori borough, was before I was sent away I started there. It amazed me how much worse it got in nearly three years. Mum's veterinarian practice was even replaced with a dry cleaner shop, making me worried till I learned that she just moved to Pennsylvania with my sister shortly after I was released. While it's painful that she couldn't even stand to be in the same state as me, I don't think about it. She told me straight up I wasn't a part of her life anymore; if she didn't then the situation would have been even more screwed up.

It was surprisingly easy to find an empty warehouse filled with nothing but graffiti, trash and junk. Me, Sora and Justin easily cleaned out the worst of it while the girls sprayed the walls black and covering the offensive words, symbols and sadly shitty art. When Ami asked if there was anything we should do to make the place as ours I told her to paint two huge red fangs.

* * *

Click.

I watch in amazement as Ten easily and nearly with no concentration, locks and loads the AAI Serial Bullet Riflel.

"How the hell do you know how to do that?"

Testing her aim at the wall farthest from us she answers, "My dad used to be in the military."

I wait for her to continue with an exaggerated motion. She sighs. "Whenever he was back home he would like to teach me about the various firearms he used. It was…" Ten smiles, the sweetest smile I've ever seen on her face. "It was nice, we used to bond over it. The knives, the guns, the way he fought…It was the coolest thing in the world. All I wanted to do was be able to do what he did. To defend and protect you know."

A heavy feeling weighed in my chest. I just knew Ten wasn't going to have a happy story.

"He went missing two years ago while fighting overseas. I don't know what happened to him, if he's still alive out there or dead."

"Ten…I'm sorry."

She blinks away her tears. "Not your fault. I stayed with my grandpa at the dojo until he was deemed unable to provide for me. His Alzheimer's really started to kick in then so I was sent into the system. The foster family that got me though…they couldn't stand me. And when they found out I was a lesbian they threw me out."

I wince. New York has been on the fence on Gay Marriage for quite some time now. It'll be a while till the bill passes, and while a lot of people don't really care anymore, there are still some homophobes out there.

"I tried to get a job, tried to get my GED but the cops found me every time my name popped up in the system. They kept sending me back to that house where I was looked at as if I was shit. Those people wouldn't say they threw me out; they would act as if I ran away. Like I was an ungrateful bitch." She snarls as she grips the large gun in her hands, making me nervous.

"It sickens me, my dad…he was everything to me. And for people like that he went MIA for. You know what they said to me on the anniversary of his official disappearance? 'What a dumb-ass.' That was what they called him as I prayed for his safety." Ten gently hugs the gun, as if it were a teddy bear rather than a weapon. "I decided then that I don't want to give my life for my country if people like them were just going to spit on me for it. I decided I would protect only those I care about. I won't let them get taken away from me again, or disrespected like that."

She turns to me, her eyes determined and holding a fire I recognize in myself and so few others. What was it?

"Kiba…you've been nothing but kind to me. I heard how you helped the others and how you're trying to still help someone you're promised too. You live with Ami and not once have you taken advantage of her, even though she prances around in thongs. You've done some bad things, but for every wrong choice you've helped another. I can respect that, so I'll help you with this mission to save your friend."

* * *

I want to say that the raid on Gato's home was an epic battle like in a Michael Bea movie but it wasn't.

Ami had done her work good and well. She was able to weave her way into the business as easily as a hot knife through butter. Gato was a man of habits, so he was away on business at the time, and he was cheap. The most he spent on was a couple of mercenaries named Zabuza and Haku. Those two were gunned down first, thanks to Ten's awesome sniping skills. If we didn't have her Zabuza and his apprentice would have torn through us as if we were nothing.

Once we broke in and got rid of the main threats we stole everything from the short fat man. Money, valuables, documentation on all his previous involvements in the black market, and his victims of being a loan shark. Then we burned down the house, a making sure that none of our DNA survived. Then later we delivered the documents to the police anomalously. Taking Chouji's family's file out of it and destroying it within the walls of our warehouse.

We used the money and sold the valuables. A large chunk of it went to officially buying the warehouse and starting renovations on it so we can have a large place for everyone to stay at for basically free. Those utility bills had to get paid. Another small chunk went to the tattoos we all decided to get to officially start our crew: The Fangs. As the unofficial leader I decided to let my friends decide where I should get my tats put. Probably the worse decision ever as they chose my face, so now I have one large red fang on each cheek.

Ten got hers on hers on her upper arms, Ami her lower back like a tramp stamp Sora his left hand and Chouji decided to join, claiming that he wants to be our personal chef, so he got his done on his shoulders. Justin and the other guys got theirs on various places like their arms or legs or chest.

* * *

The music was pounding while the flashing lights nearly gave me a seizure. The air was stuffy from all the people within the club as they grind and danced with one another. The stench of alcohol filled the air, blending with the odor of sweat.

"Cheer up man!" Justin yells in my ear. "We'll get you laid for your birthday!"

Yes, that's right. It's July 7th, my 19th birthday.

When I admitted to Ami a few weeks ago after the raid that I never had sex I told her it in full confidence that she would take it in stride so I can ask her what do girls like.

Instead she calls an emergency meeting saying that it's a shame her leader has yet to have sex as if that shouldn't be possible. While the guys laughed Ten looked at me with pity. Ten the youngest of our group, looked at me with pity!

The worst was Chouji. He ran up and hugged me, saying that I shouldn't be deprived of the one pleasure that was better than food. I looked at him completely in shock. Demanding to know when he lost his virginity. Apparently he had a girlfriend a while back. I don't know why I assumed he too was a virgin but I guess that's just ignorance on my part.

After that I was given days of lessons from Ten and Ami on what women want in the bedroom. Ami even had no problem showing me where certain spots were. It was worse than Sora telling me tricks on how to tell if the girl-or girls in some situations, which I can't see myself being in-like what I'm doing and what positions are the most fun.

They decided on my birthday we would all go to a club and they would help me find a girl to take to the nearest hotel and to the best room available. We still had money left over from Gato's so that wasn't that bad of a thing. No one thought of bringing in hookers, while they mainly did that out of respect for Ami I also had my own separate reasons for turning that offer down.

So now it's nearly ten at night and I'm trapped in this chaos as my friends scout the place looking for someone they think I should sleep with while Sora and Justin make sure I don't run away as girl after girl come to me. All are pretty in a way. Slim, sexy with hair of various textures and colors while their makeup is heavy and their clothes are slutty.

"Look guys, seriously it's fucking weird that you're picking out a girl for me." I complain as the music lightens up to bearable levels after the latest blond is taken back to her drunken friends.

"Too late," Justin shouts while Sora nods in agreement. "You brought this on yourself."

I groan.

* * *

It took a while for me to slip away from my captors. But after a drunken couple bumped into Justin and covering him in their drinks I was able to sneak off.

Finally free I head straight to the bar. I'm not getting anything alcoholic-I couldn't even if I wanted to-I just wanted some water. The humidity was getting to me.

After I got my cup of icy cool heaven I turn around and accidentally whammed into the person behind me. Dropping my drink all over the floor.

"Shit! Sora leave me alone…" I look see the red toes in strappy low heels as my water trails after the person I bumped into. Raising my gaze I see black capris over smooth creamy pale skin, a flowey dark blue spaghetti strap blouse over the white lace covering her large breasts. Silky long black hair with front bangs that frames her face and large icy grey eyes. I stare dumbfounded at the most beautiful girl I have ever seen before in my life.

"S-sorry!" She stutters, bowing her head as if it is the most natural thing in the world.

"No…no it's my fault. I thought you were my friend." I tap her shoulder, trying to get her to lift her head, instead she jumps up as if she was electrocuted while I sucked in a deep breath.

The moment I touched her it was as if fire burned through my veins. Filling up the empty space in my chest while also sending a tightening sensation in my lower abdomen.

I want her. I want her bad.

"Ex-Excuse me!" She suddenly shouts as she spins around and heads towards the dance floor. I chase after her, my eyes never leaving her hair as it gleams in the party lights. Once again I stop her by placing my hand on her shoulder. Causing her to turn to me again as I burn.

"Want to dance?" I ask while mentally praying that she says yes.

After nearly a century-or well that's what it felt like to me-she nods.

Slowly I move in front of her, placing my hands on her hips and gently pulling her closer to me as she stares into my eyes, as if she's a deer caught in the headlights. I see her lick her lip I fight the urge to dip my head so I can taste her.

Her hands slowly touch my upper arms, I see her cheeks flush as she gives an experimental squeeze and I feel her shiver. I chuckle. She's feeling it too.

Suddenly feeling bold I remove my hands then lift hers so that her arms drape over my shoulders and her chest is flush against mine as she straddles my thigh. I feel her huff out a breath as my hands return to their previous spot. I feel the softness of her curves but underneath all that is a strength that makes me want to howl.

"There," I breathe gulping as I watch her eye my lips. "That's better."

Slowly I start move my hips side to side, to the beat of the pounding background music, my thigh-still trapped between hers- rubs against her groin causing her to start to breath slower and heavier as her hands twine themselves in my hair. I lean into her, lowering my hands to the luscious curve of her ass then pulling her higher until her thigh brushes against my raging hard on.

I move my face to the side of her neck, breathing him her mouthwatering scent of freshly fallen snow and vanilla. "Name's Kiba."

I feel her breath as she pants into my ear.

"I-I'm Hinata."

* * *

We danced for as long as I could handle all the cat calls and whistles from my crew. Which was about an hour after this annoying song came on that snapped me out of the trance Hinata's touch put me in.

I looked into her hooded icy gaze and shut my eyes, hoping I wasn't going to make a fool of myself for what I was about to ask her.

Opening my eyes I ask, "So, do you-"

"C-can we go somewhere more p-private?" she stammers out.

My mouth falls open and I feel my face heat up. Did I hear her correctly? Leaning into her ear I ask to repeat what she said.

I see her take a deep breath of encouragement and square her shoulders to the best of her ability. Turning into my ear she confirms that I wasn't hearing things. My mouth suddenly feels dry as I nod and lead her off the dance floor towards the exit. I ignore the grins and thumbs up to the best of my ability but when I look back at Hinata I see her heavily blushing. I don't know if she saw my crew or if she's just surprised with her own boldness.

I breathe out a sigh of relief once I step outside. The stuffiness from the club made it nearly unbearable, along with the pounding music and all the bodies…I really hope that I don't have to go into another club for a long time.

"So um where do you want to go? There's this amazing pizza parlor down the road if your hungry. My treat."

She bites her lip and looks down again while I silently curse myself as I take in her clothes again. They practically scream wealth. She has to come from a high class family, one that won't offer her $2.99 slice of grease.

I'm about to ask if she would like to go to a restaurant, any restaurant when suddenly I get an idea.

"Or…would you like to come to my hotel. They have room service and we can order anything." Her large eye's nearly bug out of her head so I rush in my following explanation. "W-we don't have to go up to my room, there's a restaurant on the first floor. O-or we can just not think hotel and go straight to a regular restaurant." I try to smile reassuringly-but I feel the awkwardness on my face and each silent second that passes I mentally beat the shit out of my brain for opening my mouth.

A giggle stops me from decking my brain again. I focus on Hinata's face, seeing that she's till blushing-but not nearly as viciously- and that she is actually smiling. I feel my heart lurch in my chest.

"Let's go to your hotel room…I-I don't feel like being around a lot of people anymore."

Trying to calm myself I nod my head in the proper direction and we take off.

The walk to my hospital is short and we spend it in silence. Over and over in my head I force myself to remember everything from my lessons.

* * *

I yawn, feeling the ache in my muscles from all the exercise I did with Hinata the night before. Thinking of her brings a smile to my face as I burrow into the pillow even more.

It turns out last night was both our first times. However by I learned that I was her first, I was already gloved and inside her. After waiting for her to tell me when she was ready I did everything I could to make sure I wasn't hurting her again. I would constantly ask if what I was doing felt good, if she was comfortable, if she wanted me to stop. Of course I'm sure my dick would have fallen off if she did, but I didn't want to be that jerk who didn't give a shit about her pleasure too. Thankfully I must have some skills in the bedroom because she liked what I was doing and I'm pretty sure she came…quite a few times in fact.

Remembering more about last night was enough to get me hard again so I rolled over to reach for Hinata to wake her up for a morning go only to find her missing. I open my eyes seeing the trashed hotel room and a piece of paper neatly folded on the nightstand. Confused I reach over and grab the note opening it to find three words.

Thank you!

-Hinata.

I stare in shock at the dainty handwriting. No fucking way. That girl, that beautiful previously innocent girl who made me burn from just a single touch, who was the sweetest person I had ever met… used me.

I don't know what to feel right now. Proud that she enjoyed it? Hurt that she snuck out while I was too exhausted to wake up? I mean, how often do you meet a girl like that? I wanted to get to know her better; I was going to take her out to breakfast after another round this morning…and possibly one in the shower, to ask more about her and see if maybe this could be something. And she ditched me in the middle of the night?!

I've never felt so, used. Was it possible I was wrong? Did I not read her reactions right? Was she actually forcing herself to get through each time we had sex? Did she fake it?

Damn it, I let go of the note to punch the pillow I was sleeping on. I wish I knew.

* * *

Even though been a week since the night I slept with Hinata and she won't get out of my head.

It seems as if every day I think back to that night to try and see where I went wrong. To see if I scared her off in some way or hurt her but I can't see it. Sure I was a little assertive when I met her but I made sure she knew she had a choice that she could leave at any moment after we danced and started walking to the hotel. That she could say no or tell me to stop.

But she didn't. In my memories she wanted me just as badly as I wanted her. I still have a few hickies on my neck from where she sucked, kissed and bit me as I sent her over again and again… But what if she did that to make me think she was coming? What if she was acting the whole time?

Unless I find her again I'll never know.

* * *

It's been roughly a month since my birthday, Ten, me, Akamaru and Sora are walking back from the warehouse to our over filled apartment. The construction is going well. The architects moved the old broken machines out and have begun the leveling to give it the multiple floors we wanted. They even emptied out the basement where old paper work was found.

They said it would take a while-roughly a year until we could move in, which means that none of us are going to be giving up our day jobs anytime soon. We were now running low on Gato's money having spent most of it on the expenses of the property we would need to find another large bout of cash in order to keep up with all the expenses.

Sora and I were talking about using the skills we learned from Kakuzu to start our own operation of art smuggling or even some mercenary jobs that involve stealing. Ten was even down for it so long as we stole from people who deserved it. The only question is who?

* * *

"Hey freak! Shut the fuck up!"

The familiar sound of pounding flesh echoes through the streets, Akamaru lets out a growl while I hold him back with his harness as Ten peeks into the alley. I hear her knuckles crack as she glares at whatever she sees. Faintly I hear some mutterings, but I can't make out the words. Curious I turn to look and see three wanna be thugs fighting one guy.

To be honest I was sure the loner would totally win with the way he was dodging their attacks like nothing and landing all the hits he dished out. But just as frequently as dodged he would brush off his arms or face. Momentarily distracting him and almost causing him to get decked in the face more then once. It isn't until one of the guys flicks out a knife that my friends and I join in.

The odds were in our favor, 5 against 3 was a no brainer. As soon as we came in the wimps left, one of them seriously freaking out over the size of Akamaru.

I turned to the guy, his head was down as he continued to frantically brush his dirty clothes as if to clean them. It isn't until I get closer that I hear what he's been mumbling about the entire time.

"Bugs, bugs bugs…get them off me, get them out of me…"

Taking a step back I share a look with my fellow companions as we try to figure out what is wrong with this guy.

"He's sick…" whispers Ten. I turn to her. She shrugs. "Either that or he's high."

"Hey," Sora calls to the guy. Making him flinch from the volume of his voice. "You okay there?"

The guy looks up, showing us his gaunt face that's thin from lack of food, his brown eyes wide with fright have heavy bags under them and his hair is frizzy. Standing on end as if he had been running his fingers through it.

"Help me…I can't get them off me." He croaks.

I try not to feel pity. If he was a druggie then he did this to himself, but if he wasn't…

"Okay," I say as I kneel down in front of him with Akamaru at my side. "We'll help you. What's your name?"

He takes a deep breath as he shakes, his eyes darting this way and that seeing all kinds of things that his mind is supplying him with. Finally he starts to relax enough that he meets my eye.

"Shino. Shino Aburame."

We took Shino to the hospital. Later we found out that he had been diagnosed with Schizophrenia. A disease that causes him to hear and see things that isn't really there. His kind's isn't as bad as it could have been. So far he just sees's things, specifically bugs, not hear them.

He couldn't afford medicine though; he's been paying his way through college since he moved to the city last year. His parents went out for a retirement trip until his mental break about a week ago, making it difficult for anyone to contact them. Shino had been so scared that he couldn't think straight and easily got lost in an unfamiliar part of the city.

Using the last of the money I sent Shino to be institutionalized where hopefully he can get better and eventually go back to school. He told me he owed me one.

* * *

"So hey Sakura how you been?" I call into my phone.

"_I've been great! I finally got accepted into the university I wanted so I'm about to move from my dorm to an apartment not that far from the school."_

I sigh. "Why don't you just finish school at the state college?"

"_Kiba,"_ she stresses. _"When it comes to becoming a surgeon I need to know everything I can about medicine. And as much as I love this school…it doesn't have that great of a medical program. Good enough for nursing but not for a surgeon. So I'm leaving it if I want to achieve my goals."_ She pauses. _"Besides…Ino just got accepted some time ago and while this summer has been…enlightening I can't stand another party with her and her friends. Or worse being called ugly by her on-again off-again boyfriend."_

I clench my teeth. "Well," I say to try and lighten up my mood. "At least now you know for a fact that he's a complete idiot. One he called you ugly and two he's dating Ino. Can't really have that many brain cells if that's how he spends his free time."

Sakura laughs. _"Well sadly he isn't as stupid as you make him out to be. He's just…socially challenged."_

"Don't defend the ass who dares to call you ugly."

I can hear the smile in her voice as she tries to reassure me that she wasn't trying to defend him.

We talk some more about our lives. Though I never give anything away about how deep I got into the crime world. Right now it is just Sakura and me-the two kids who grew up on the same block, fought the same bullies and knows each other's favorite foods and most hated movies. And for once in a long time I was able to not wonder about Hinata or worry about the Fangs. I was just Kiba.

* * *

In the beginning of September The Fangs pulled off their first official heist. We stole from a known corrupt politician. A minor one, not one such as Orochimaru, he along with Nagato are famous for their dealings and only an idiot would try to steal from them. Especially since I used to work for one of Nagato's lackeys I know not to fuck up like that. Rumors of Nagato's past strike fear into those outside of his organization, The Akatsuki. While Orochimaru can easily turn us against one another and send us all into prison for just about anything, Nagato can have us all disappear…permanently.

So we avoided those two, but so long as the ones we screwed over weren't currently tide to them but just as corrupt they were free game. So the bastard we stole from, Jonathan C. Reece ended up being pretty freaking rich wealthy. Everything in his condo was expensive and made tones of money once we sold it. That job easily got us a few hundred thousand. And it was just the first of a string of robberies Fang carried out over the next few years.

However…after that job things took a turn south for a while.

* * *

Gun shots boomed through the old pub down the street from the warehouse. People screamed as the stench of blood filled the air. Mark lies half on the bar, his back riddled with holes. Jonny wasn't so lucky either. His brains were splattered on the plasma screen TV over the pool table where we were watching some Family Guy until the door crashed open and ten men rolled up in carrying guns and weapons. They didn't seem to care about who they shot so long as they got to actually use their guns.

Now, I don't walk around packing heat, guns aren't really my thing as I prefer to use my fists when in a fight. But Ten was loaded with weapons, hiding them in all sorts of places on her body as if she was a walking black market. She took it upon herself to sneak behind the scenes and give the remaining Fangs a gun or knife while the leader-a man with his face covered in a mask that bore the shape of a dragon demanded to know who did the attack on The Wave and Gato.

I wasn't going to rat out my crew, not after I've seen two just die for me. So just as I about to give myself up, Ten stood up and opened fire on the masked bastards. Then all hell broke loose.

Picking up an empty bottle of beer I smashed it into the nearest masked guy's head. Either knocking him out or killing him, at that point I didn't care. The shock was wearing off now and all I can see are Mark and Jonny's faces as we bonded in juvie. The fights we got in over the last couple of years, our first heist, our second. Their birthdays and Christmas. Their smiles and jokes as I left the club with Hinata…they were gone. They were dead! They aren't coming back!

_They aren't coming back. _I realized.

Furious I joined the fight with new vigor. Disarming as many of the guns as possible and beating the shit out of every masked scum that stood in my way. Luckily only a small handful had guns and both Sora and I were able to disarm the lackeys and Ten and the rest took care of the big guy with the rifle.

* * *

By the time the fight was over the place was burning down.

It seems to me like were pyromaniacs or something.

We were able to escape, me, Sora, Justin and Ash grabbed Mark and Jonny's bodies. Not wanting them to be taken by the police and treated like trash just because they died in the gun fight.

Everyone was in bad shape. Ami had a few cuts, Sora and me were pretty sora and bruised but luckily no broken bones. Chouji thinks he broke his hand and Ash had taken a few good hit to the side after the guy he was fighting ran out of bullets. Ten was the worst though. She took a bullet to the shoulder when she started the second rounds of gunfire. With nowhere else to go we ran to our warehouse, avoiding the current area that was mainly under construction and dashing to the basement where we could lick our wounds and plot revenge.

But before revenge we needed to get better. We needed a doctor. Ten's 18th birthday was still some months away and I wasn't going to be the asshole that got her sent back to her so called foster parents. She was adamant about never going back there so we had to get creative.

I shut my eyes. Hating myself for what I was about to do. I was about to bring someone into this. Someone who should stay away from this madness I dragged myself into, someone who deserves a life of peace and had even escaped from this darker side of life.

I leave Sora in charge, then sent Justin and Ami to go out and bring back as many bandages and rubbing alcohol as they could using any means necessary. They didn't want me going outside alone so I bring along Akamaru. Using the skills Ten taught me I hot wire the fastest car I can find. Then With Akamaru sitting in the back I settle in for a long drive upstate to drag Sakura back down to the city that never sleeps.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Alright to just to be sure this is what I made in this world.**

**The Shi no Mori, is going to be a small fictional area in New York like Queens, The Bronx, Manhattan or Harlem would be. It's where Kiba and Sakura are from and where the Fang's will keep their home. I call it the Shi No Mori because that is the Forest of Death in Canon. Because I wanted to make the title from Canon that is the one place that I thought sounded cool. Sure it's a little cheesy but heh. It's a fan fiction! Though if anyone has a better idea for the name please tell me!**

**Side note: Ami is actually Canon for those of you who don't know. She was one of Sakura's main bullies in the past. I needed another female in the Fangs and decided to use Ami as she is so easy to mold into whatever role I needed to fill.**

**The next chapter will also be a long one. And don't forget to read Disgrace's sister story Decieving and the story that inspired them both!-Kizukatana's, Deception!**


	3. Part 3: Stained

**Part 3: Stained**

**A/N: WARNING! Chapter may have disturbing material.**

* * *

_No way…_

_How…_

I stand there dumb founded as I see _Hinata_, of all people walking with Sakura. I'm standing in the shadow of a tree as I watch the two women stroll towards the parking lot. As much as I have been wanting to see Sakura again-all I can do is stare at Hinata as she laughs so care free. The way the sun shines on her hair, making it gleam a deep blue, or how her creamy skin makes Sakura look tan in comparison. I can't see her eyes, but I don't need to. I remember their shade, the clarity in them, the way they darkened as…

I shake my head to clear it. No time to stand there like an idiot. Ten could be dying if I can't get to Sakura I will have no choice but to send her to a hospital alone while hoping that she'll forgive me and come back to the fangs as soon as she's better.

Akamaru whines at my side, and absentmindedly I scratch him behind the ears to calm him as I look around the environment of where my best friend and...lover?...reside.

The clear blue sky seems more vibrant than it does in the city, as if the building's take away from the natural beauty of it. The birds, not pigeons, chirp and sing as the laughter and various light hearted voices fill the background. The bright green grass and orange turning leaves add to the movie collage scene.

Suddenly I feel terrible, so much worse than I've ever been before. My hidden fear rears its head again. Sakura could have been caught so long ago, unlike my case were the cop's death was deemed an accident hers wouldn't have been seen that way. It was murder of the first degree, she planned it and anticipated it for I don't know how long…and here she is. In the mists of a typical college student's life-though granted she has been a college student since she was sixteen, she has finally started to accomplish her dream. Should I really be the one to take that away from her?

I remember the night before, the screams, the blood, the gunshots…then again I look around at the stark opposite world surrounding me. I shake my head, I can't take her away from all this, even just for one night. She deserves to live a happy life where her worst fears are that of a patient's death, not hers.

Just as I was about to leave though, Akamaru takes off after the duo making me silently curse and pull him to a halt as we are nearly a yard away from them. Hinata turns her head, her eyes widen as she recognize me. They stop walking and, just before Sakura can turn around, I cup my hands over her eyes from behind.

"Guess who?" I ask as I stare at Hinata over Sakura's surprisingly shorter form. When we were younger we were roughly the same height, now I tower over her by at least a head.

When she doesn't answer I let out a growl of annoyance then feel her cheeks lift in a smile before she lets out a squeak of excitement and embraces me. It isn't until I see her looking at me that I process that she still has her hair dyed the cotton candy pink.

"Oh my god! Kiba! What are you doing here?!" She laughs into my chest the vibrations making me chuckle.

"What the hell is up with you Sakura? Your hair's till pink!" I exclaim.

I hear Akamaru bark from behind me then feel Sakura stiffen. Slowly she pulls away from me to look at the giant white dog, her eyes widen as she recognizes him.

"Akamaru?" She breaths.

As if hearing her voice directed at him flipped some sort of switch, Akamaru then jumps on Sakura knocking her into me and Hinata as he attacks her will wet dog kisses.

"Down boy!" I shout as I try to get a hold of him. When I finally get ahold of my dog I hear Sakura laughing up a storm. A sane one-not the maddening cackle from my nightmares.

"Sorry about that, as you can see he's still grateful for you saving him."

"I can tell," Sakura chuckles before she kneels down to give the large hound a belly rub. I turn to Hinata, only to find her looking away from me. Her face red with mortification.

I hold out my hand, "Hi," I breathe. "I'm Kiba, Kiba Inuzuka." My eyes don't leave her face as I watch her turn towards me, shakily she brings her hand over to mine. The moment we touch though the fire from that night all those months ago doesn't come. Instead it is a comforting heat, one that sooths the wound in my heart from my recent loss of friends.

"I'm Hi-Hinata Hyuuga." Hyuuga? That sounds familiar. I quickly discard the thought as the fact of finally knowing her name, her full name, caused my heart lurch in my chest. I lean in closer to her and whisper so quietly that Sakura won't hear. I breathe in her icy smell, the one that has haunted me for so many nights, and sigh out in relief. I feel my jeans tighten then I mentally try to focus on anything but her.

"I didn't know you knew Sakura."

She gulps before whispering back, "She's m-my roommate."

Just before I answer Sakura speaks, "So what brings you upstate?"

Quickly I step away from my lover, shifting and hoping that my raging hard on isn't as obvious as it feels.

"Well…I missed you." I lamely explain as I give a pointed look towards Hinata. As much as I want to stay and talk to her more before dragging her to the nearest secluded place, I knew I couldn't. Besides the fact that she is the one who used me, I also had Ten and the others to worry about. Their lives are more important to me then my needs.

Understanding flashes in Sakura's green eyes and she quickly tells Hinata to go somewhere without her. As I watch my lover leave I find my gaze centering on her ass as it sways. Her blue and white hoodie prevented me from getting an eye full of her luscious breasts. Which is a good thing. If I saw them I'm sure I would have kissed her right then and there.

I tear my eyes away, focusing on Akamaru on the ground and rubbing his belly. If I watch her leave again I'm sure I would do something stupid. Remember The Fangs, keep your mind on The Fangs.

"What is it Kiba?"

"I need your help…"I start as I look up to her, most likely showing my desperation. She nods.

"What do you need?"

* * *

The car ride back to the city was far longer than the ride upstate. Sakura couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that I started a gang. That I took down a mob boss with said gang or how I've possibly killed the night before.

"I didn't kill anyone." I state as I try to focus on the road.

"Kiba, you just told me you were in a gang war where two people you cared about died!" She yells.

"I didn't kill anyone though." I would have known if I did. Right?

"Maybe not intentionally," she softly starts. I turn to her as the traffic slows us down to a crawl. I see the shadows in her eyes, the pain on her face. "You shouldn't have to go through that Kiba. Killing isn't something you should be doing."

"Same goes for you." I return. I expected her to flinch, to show some remorse for what she's done. Instead all she does is shake her head.

"I'm going to be a doctor Kiba. I'll be killing my whole life."

"No, you'll be saving people your whole life. There's a difference." My pink haired friend shrugs.

"I'll be saving people yes, but I will lose people too. I know I will, it's inevitable in this field I'm going into. I'll do everything in my power to save as many as I can…but still all I'll be is a glorified killer. It's better than thinking of myself as a failure as a healer."

I return my gaze to the road.

"But you…you aren't a killer Kiba." She whispers.

"Really?" I ask as I think back to the night before, to the blood, the bullets, the sound of flesh breaking bone and the pain I felt after. Then I think further back to the day of my trial, when mum disowned me and the night I was arrested. "What am I then?"

"You…" she sighs, I glance at her to see her shake her head. "Never mind, it won't mean anything if you don't realize it yourself."

I turn back to the road, as we pull up to the darkening city as the sun sets.

* * *

That night was one of the worst nights of my life.

Ten's screams as Sakura pulled out the bullet will be burned into my memory for the rest of my life. The sights of Mark and Jonny's bodies are carved behind my eyes. With every blink I see them covered in ice and lying on the slabs of concrete where we laid their bodies. I talked with the rest of the guys as Sakura and Justin cleaned up the mess left from Ten's surgery. We decided we would cremate their bodies and create a memorial wall dedicated to them. Later I would tell them they can all leave The Fangs if they want, in fact I would demand it, and I don't want them to die for me, for my goals. But everyone would stay against my wishes, they even felt insulted that I contemplated to give up my search for the blond murderer, they felt it was an insult to Mark and Jonny. So for them, and Mark and Jonny-I wouldn't stop until I found him.

I slept after I heard that Ten would be okay, while Sakura continued to treat the rest of the guys and helped reset Chouji's hand.

When I work up the next morning I took Sakura back to her university. Most of the ride was in suffocating silence. Then Sakura confronted me once again on why I started a gang of all things. After listening to her for nearly a half hour I couldn't take it anymore, I couldn't have her judge me too, mum did and she abandoned me. Hana did and she never forgave me for beating the shit out of her ex. If Sakura judged me…

"Because I was framed!" I shout, bringing forth the frustration I've been holding back for so long. "That night when I was driving home someone attacked me from the back seat. The put this cloth over my nose and mouth then the next thing I know I'm waking up to the sounds of sirens. They had me surrounded and wouldn't listen to a damn thing I said. Nobody else saw anyone running away so they assumed I was lying. I'm lucky I was a minor otherwise they would have sent me straight to prison." I pant as my grip on the steering wheel flexes, I can hear my blood pumping from the sheer adrenaline rush of shouting out my anger. "I'm going to find the bastard who did that to me."

It takes a moment before she answers in a whisper.

"But…why a gang Kiba?" I hear the desire, the curiosity in her voice. She needed to know, to understand. I sigh, then told her.

"Juvie was…it was bad Sakura. None of the other guys were rapists or murderers, we were kids you know? But most loved to prove how tough they were. Fights broke out at the drop of a hat, and if word got out that you were weak or a push over, you ended up getting jumped in the shower." At her horrified expression I quickly explain. "It wasn't always like that and I was never the guy who was attacked, but a few others were. I helped them out, rescued some, and the next thing I know…" I shrug. "It's like we bonded, and that bond is something that doesn't feel like it can be broken. We all know that with our records we aren't going to be able to get great jobs, minimum wage is probably the best we'll ever get. But…"I turn to her. "You call this a gang…I call them family. After I got sent to juvie mum disowned me Sakura." I see the disbelief on her face and feel a twinge of guilt for never telling her this before. In truth it was probably the first time I confirmed it out loud. Sure everyone knew, mainly because Hana practically laid it out the moment she dropped off my stuff. "Remember my dad was a criminal? She didn't want to deal with that again. For years she tried to keep me on the right side of the law but," I chuckle, thinking back on all the laws I've broken in the past year. Breaking and entering, smuggling, hiding an immigrant, stealing, assault, indirect murder and possibly the real thing. Damn, I'm a hypocrite for judging Sakura. "I just kept leaning to the bad."

I look at her again, feeling the weight of my crew's lives, their hopes, dreams on my shoulders. Then the lightness in my heart as I remember all the grate times we've had together. The laughs on the holidays, the arguments when we're stressed, the smiles, the tears. In that moment I knew that if I had been given the chance to leave that damn warehouse early enough to have not witness that murder, or to have not stopped to rest after therapy…I wouldn't take it. "But my crew…they don't judge me. They accept me and believe me when I tell them I was set up. Most of them were wronged by someone in their past, and that led to their imprisonment. While all have issues trusting others but trusting each other is all we have Sakura. And to me that is extremely important."

I turn back to the road, just in time to hear her sigh, again I look her way but this time I don't see the any judgment or curiosity. I see…pride and understanding.

"So…you do understand." She whispers.

"What?"

She smiles, "nothing."

This time the silence in the car was comforting.

* * *

That night after I returned from dropping off Sakura at her school we held a private funeral for Mark and Jonny.

As upsetting as it had been we cleaned their bodies to the best of our abilities. No one suggested to have asked Sakura to clean them while she was here. She doesn't know them as we do, she wouldn't understand how important it is to give them as much dignity as possible. She would have tried though, that I'm positive of.

Finally, with their bodies dressed in their favorite clothes we put them each in a stolen porcelain bath tub and doused them in their favorite alcohol, Marks Crown Royal and Jonny's Captain Morgan, to do two things. One to prepare them for burning… and second…to help get rid of the smell that was starting to come from them.

We stood in a circle surrounding the bath tubs, everyone was holding a shot glass- a majority of them were filled with water because of the meds most were on- but a few of us got to actually share a last shot with our friends before we officially bid them goodbye.

After each member said their piece, they would do three things. First drink two shots-one for each- then pour a shot in each tub, and finally they howled like the dogs that we are. This continued until just before my turn came. Because at that moment Akamaru began howling in anguish.

I couldn't take it anymore, the memories that were shared, the tears, the howling…unknowingly I began to howl in harmony with my dog. One by one everyone joined in until we sounded like a pack of wolves.

When it ended I spoke my piece, using cool feel of my tears on my cheeks to help center me as I stare at their bodies. I spoke of the first time I met them, the first time we fought together, our raids together…Then I promised them something.

"I won't stop. I promise you this guys, I will find those who hurt us, those who hurt you. And I will make them pay. The blond bastard who brought me to you, the thugs that used you and the masked bastards who k-killed you." I pause as I clench my fist making my knuckles crack as I grind my teeth in fury and pain. Finally, I whisper "I will find them all. You won't die in vain."

Then I flicked the matches alight and threw them into the tubs.

* * *

Throughout the next couple of months the Fangs got into more and more brawls against the Gato's gang of Rouges. And even though I didn't want to, I would have to drag Sakura from her university down to the city again and again to try and save my crew.

There are times when I had no choice but to take them to a hospital, times when I had to break in and bribe doctors not to report gunshot wounds to the police. But those are far and few in between. We didn't want to become regulars at such a public place where the doctors could be bought so easily. Eventually, Sakura-even though she is still a student-became the only doctor we trusted, especially after she started to get to know the guys.

* * *

It's been nearly three months since I dragged Sakura down to the city and I still haven't been able to ask her about Hinata.

While I never forgot about her, I did push thoughts about her away so I could focus on things the Fangs were planning. Other than working on getting back to full health, the renovations on the warehouse, working our day jobs-we finally had gotten a client so we can start smuggling. We also had to figure out how the Rouge's found us that day in the pub. At first it was assumed that one of us was a traitor. But that was quickly rebutted. The only other explanation is that someone betrayed us. The only question is who?

Between juggling all those thoughts and worries I never had the chance to talk to Sakura about Hinata. The long car rides are a perfect opportunity to do it…except Sakura is usually interrogating me on the ride to the city on what happened, how the injury looked, how long has it been since the fight. Then she would call on the phone to whoever was in the best condition and talk them through the most basic ways to treat the wound till we arrive. Since most times Sakura would end up being up for over 24 hours the return rides were usually her sleeping the entire time so she can either go to class or do homework as soon as she returned.

So when it came time for Christmas I used it as the perfect opportunity to call Sakura and invite her and Hinata over for the holidays.

Only to learn I'm too late.

"_I'm sorry Kiba, I really need to focus on my studies right now and need to work so I can pay my half of the rent this month."_

"Oh well how about Hinata then?" I ask while trying to keep the eagerness out of my voice.

"_Hinata? She moved out months ago."_

I freeze, trying to comprehend what it was Sakura was saying.

"She, she left?" I ask.

"_Mmhmm. She left to return to her country because of a family emergency. Apparently she won't be back in the U.S. for a long time."_ Sakura explains.

"Country?" I repeat as my mind swirls.

"_Yeah, she's from Japan, apparently her father sent her to the U.S. to further her schooling. Since her older cousin is here as well she was sent to go live with him in her father's estate but once she came over here she decided to try and live as a normal girl I guess. She got a job, signed up to be my roommate and worked her but off to keep up her grades."_

_She had her first time with a stranger in a club,_ I silently added. _Then left them with no intention of ever seeing them again._

"_Well anyway my guess is her dad found out about her new life and decided she wasn't ready to live on her own. One day after you brought me back I found her in our bedroom silently crying. When I asked what was wrong she just muttered something in Japanese before she told me she was leaving for Japan."_ Sakura paused, then whispered, _"She didn't want to leave Kiba. She really didn't, it was like she was trying to figure out herself-spread her wings you know- only to have her feathers clipped."_ I hear her breath out a sad sigh. _"I even think she started to like someone, but never got the chance to ask her if or who."_

I felt my heart swell with hope just before it shattered with despair. If Hinata did like someone I wish it could be me…but then I remember that while I may know every inch of her body I don't know her that well. I only spent that one night with her and the brief meeting the day I reunited with Sakura. After that nothing. Bur given how obsessed I am with her, I can't just deny the possibility that she could have liked me just as much.

The rest of the conversation with Sakura is a typical one when the Fangs are not in need of her rapidly growing medical skills. We talked movies, memories, food and her school life. She gossiped about Ino and I insulted Ino. All in all it was a nice chat…except I kept feeling pain in my chest whenever I looked out the window and saw the snow falling with the black sky behind it.

* * *

I never forgot Hinata, but I didn't go searching for her either. The way I see it, the woman left the country without saying goodbye. Like how mum and Hana left the state to avoid me. Though Hinata obviously has reasons for why she left, the fact is that she didn't say goodbye and settle this thing that's been between us. Just confirming that I truly was nothing more than a one night stand.

* * *

It turns out March is the month of birthdays.

First it was Ten's 18th birthday.

We celebrated her official freedom from the educational system and set on getting her official ID, permit, signing her up to get her GED and medical insurance. Though we go to Sakura for our personal medical needs the basic ones, we go to regular hospitals for. Though I suspect that As soon as Sakura was officially settled in a hospital she will be having a round of official patients. Both for legal matters and not.

After Ten got all that paper work out of the way, we took her to go get her present; her grandfather's dojo. That we couldn't take care of in one day though. Because she has been legally missing for well over a year she and her grandfather is still hospitalized, the dojo was basically deemed public property. Luckily we were able to get her to state her case to the real-estate agents. They didn't believe us but once we get someone to be a lawyer she will happily own the dojo. Which, she revealed to us as we left the agency, has always been her dream.

Sadly we didn't get to do much else for her birthday, as everything took more time than we thought but Ten said it was alright. She was the happiest she has ever been. Especially after we took her to her favorite Chinese food restaurant in Chinatown and she had her cake with sparklers in place of candles.

Then it was Sakura's turn.

* * *

I took Sakura to the city to celebrate her 20th birthday.

With a majority of the renovations on the warehouse done we were able to live there now, we even added an extra room for Sakura to sleep in. Though lately I've been thinking of hiring a private construction company to add some other extra additions to the warehouse. Particularly a private clinic for Sakura's medical supplies and a place where we can go when wounded.

The day started out pretty fun actually. First I took her to her favorite pizza parlor, the one we used to go to when we were kids, then Ami, Ten and Sakura went on a shopping spree in Manhattan. While the girls were gone, the guys and I set up the main floor of the ware house up for the surprise party we intended on throwing. I wasn't the only one who wanted to celebrate her birthday, everyone is now pretty close to Sakura. Mostly Ten, but that might be because Sakura and Ami's relationship is like a watered down version of hers and Ino's. They both get into stupid little competitions, however they don't blow things out of proportion like Ino tends to do-or so Sakura says. When I see my pink-haired friend with our seduction expert together I just can't help but laugh as they fight over ridiculous things.

After the girls returned and we shouted out surprise, it was time for dinner and cake.

Since I took Sakura out to eat earlier, Sora decided it would be better if we cooked dinner instead. Luckily for Sakura in the almost two years since my release I pretty much taught myself how to make a decent meal. Same for the rest of the guys. It wasn't anything fancy, just steak, rice and lobster-okay the lobster was a little fancy- but it was pretty good.

After we ate the cake it was time for presents.

Ami gave Sakura a light brown wig, saying that it would help her sneak out of the warehouse without causing attention to herself. I read the underlying message. It was to protect her from the Rogues in case they decide to attack Sakura.

A majority of the guys gave Sakura money or gift cards, not really knowing what she would want and having too much pride to ask me what she likes. Though Chouji was kind enough to get Sakura a medical book she has apparently been dying to have. Then Sora gave her a key to the warehouse. Finally it was down to me and Ten.

I gave Sakura a black custom medical bag. One that I knew she would like.

Then Ten gave Sakura a gun.

I froze in horror as I watch Ten give Sakura expert advice on how to use the weapon, it was a simple 9mm but still the fact that Sakura now has a gun in her possession doesn't change. All I could think about was her expression when she told me she killed her dad, of the pain in her face as she told me I wasn't a killer. Of the nightmare I had so long ago that still haunts me to this day…

* * *

Later that night, after Sakura went upstairs to go sleep I had a meeting with the Fangs in the basement.

I told them all that while it may seem like Sakura is one of us-she isn't. I told them I didn't want her to be, when Justin asked why I simply told him Sakura won't become a member. That she needs to say out of our criminal business. She's simply our friend, not a member.

Though it didn't help that shortly after that Sakura came up to me showing off an earring. One that was silver with red rubies and of a wolfs head. The thing that scared me about it was the stopper in the back was a fang with the letters H.M. engraved in it.

* * *

Finally after a year the renovations to the warehouse has been completed, or well the official renovations have been completed. In actuality we hired some private organizations to add in hiding places and escape routes that can't be found on the official blueprints of the place. Those were still being added but now we could all officially live there without worry. We've turned the basement into the main room for operations along with a private clinic for Sakura to come to so that she can have an unlimited supply of medicines for when we are wounded or sick. Though she still insists that she carry her own medical bag, just in case.

One wall in the basement, the one closest to the stair, was turned into a memorial wall for our fallen friends. There we placed their photos, ashes and wrote letters to them. We treated the wall as if it were our friends, as if they were just in another room and we could just go in and chat with them whenever we wanted so they were never forgotten.

Ten ended up getting ownership of the dojo, and she decided to use it as a place for teaching all of us how to properly use various fighting styles such as Krav Maga, jujitsu and Tae Kwon Do. Though she doesn't live there a majority of the time, she does spend some night's over in her old home. Eventually, after giving the dojo some renovations of its own, she reopened it and hired three instructors to help her run it for people of all ages.

In order to help pay for the new additions to the warehouse, we found another one-this one though won't be used as our home. No, we turned it into an underground fighting ring. Bets were made every night and fighters were always coming through to try and make a couple of bucks. Of course as the holders at these events we got the admission fee and a small percentage of the winnings. It was a huge hit and little did anyone know, but every now and then the Fang's would join in on the fighting. The most of the times were me and Sora- this was another reason Sakura was constantly dragged down to the city.

By the time I was 21 the Fangs had three rings up and running. We couldn't always be there to run them ourselves, so we started to hire outside people to run the fights when we weren't there. And to make sure we didn't get swindled we had to scare the managers of the rings a bit-though the threats were empty we weren't going to tell them that. And so the money would keep pouring in and the fights between the Fangs and Rouges were starting to become less and less…

However we lost some more people along the way.

Ash was jumped by the Rouges, his body was left in an ally to be eaten by purposely starved dogs. We had to sneak into the morgue to steal his body so we can cremate him and place his ashes among the others. The next was Chris, he ended up dying of blood loss from a knife fight. There was no time to get Sakura and so he died in the hospital on the operating table. His body we too had to steal for cremation. Then Alex died from internal bleeding from fighting in the ring. Sakura was there for that one, but couldn't do anything as she caught the bleeding far too late.

I could see that some of the guys resented Sakura for that, but later that night after she announced Alex dead I know everybody heard her cries of pain and anguish. The next day when we held the funeral Sakura's howls were the loudest of us all.

We lost one more person, one that would haunt me for the rest of my life. One that I knew Sakura never forgave herself for, even though it wasn't her fault.

Shortly after I turned 22, we lost Sora.

* * *

In the shadow of the ally I clutch at his shoulders, making sure to keep his head elevated while Ten applies pressure on the wound on his chest. Justin and Chouji are armed with guns while Ami snuck away to go get Sakura. We can't afford to go to the hospital again so soon after Chouji got stabbed in the arm, we will start to get recognized by the staff.

"Hang on man, just hang on," I mutter as Sora coughs and another splatter of blood gushes out of his mouth.

"Ki-Kiba…" he whispers as we try to move him to the car, making sure not to jostle him too much. "Shush, we'll be at the ware house in a couple of minutes. Sakura's already in town so we just have to wait a bit before she comes and fixes you up."

"Kiba…" he breathes.

"I said shut up Sora! Save your strength." I feel the tears come to my eyes as I stare down at his blurring face. His scarred hand grips mine while he tries to stay awake.

The care ride was suffocating to say the least, the stench of Sora's blood was nauseating as we rushed to get to the warehouse-now nicknamed the Dog House- where Ami said she would bring Sakura as soon as she picked her up from her interview for her hospital internship.

When we arrive to the Dog House we dash Sora down to the clinic where thankfully we find an exhausted Ami and Sakura.

"GET HIM ON THE COT QUICK!" Orders Sakura as she puts on a pair of rubber gloves.

After moving him to the cot I felt a soft squeeze on my hand. I look down to see Sora looking up at me with stead eyes and a serine expression on his face. He beckons me closer and ignoring all the chaos around me I lean in for him to whisper in my ear.

"They…saw Ami's tattoo….that's how they found us before…they searched for the Fangs cause they saw the tattoo's…"

My eyes widen as I finally-after so many years-understood how the Rouges knew it was us who attacked Gato. Ami was one of the few people that was seen all over by Gato's men. If one of them later saw her working and saw the fangs above her ass he would have looked into why she got it. When and if anyone else got it. Because mine are on my face it would have been easy to locate me.

Our tattoo's were the reason so many of us were dead.

Before I could say anything else Sora smiles and breathes out, "I'm glad…I met you…upid hero complex…" Then his eyes shut.

Sakura tried her hardest revive Sora and keep him alive. While she was able to revive him a couple of times after we lost him the third time he didn't come back.

* * *

Never before had I felt such agony at the loss of a friend. When Mark and Jonny died I still has a clear enough head to help my crew through the pain. Same for Ash, Chris and Alex. But Sora's death was different, everyone could feel it. While the other guys were just as important they weren't a leader like Sora was. Me and him both led the Fangs and without him it just felt as if we lost a main part of our being.

I can't remember much of what happened after his death, I remember Sakura's teary eyed face and bloodstained arms as she looked me in the eyes and told me to hunt down the bastard who did this. I remember going out with Akamaru, an underground poker game and grabbing a guy who I knew shot Sora but for the life of me I can't remember how I came across that information. I remember taking him to the Dog House were my crew beat the shit out of him. I remember him shouting out that he did it. That we were nothing but a pack of mutts. The next thing I knew I had his head in my hands as I whispered to him that we were not mutts, that we were wolves.

I don't know what possessed me to bite into his neck and tear open a wound. Or to take a large meat cleaver and start chopping it through his bone and flesh. All I know is that the sound of his head falling to the floor seemed to break me out of my trance-like state.

That was how Ten found me, staring down at the decapitated head in horror with my mouth stained with blood and my hands coated in it.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Whao, that ended on a dark tone. I really tried to show Sakura's transition into the Fangs and how she acts with them as in her story I didn't really go into detail with that. **

**Please Review! And don't forget to read the sister story to this, '**_**Deceiving'**_**, and the story that inspired bot****h, kizukatana's '**_**Deception'**_**!"**


	4. Part 4: Stretching

**Part 4: Stretching**

* * *

Ten is the only one who ever saw what I did, and as far as I know she didn't breathe a word about it to anyone. In fact, she didn't even seem to be shocked that I killed Sora's murderer. No, if anything she was shocked by _how_ I killed him. I could see the disgust on her face as she evaluated the room, absorbing the rusty stench and the new red graffiti.

After scanning the room…she sighed then walked towards me while holding out a small package of sanitized wipes.

"It's time for…the funeral. You should clean yourself up…" Ten opened her mouth, as if she had something more to say, but then shut it. For a moment I thought I saw pity and regret in her eyes, but I'm not sure. Not waiting for me to respond she places the packet in my hands then leaves.

It wasn't until I heard the door close that I felt the first tear drop trickle from my eye.

After I noticed my tears, it seems as if a damn broke. I _couldn't_ stop them from falling, even as I felt laughter start bubbling up in my chest. However, I didn't make a sound, I refused to, and soon enough the laughter faded but _nothing_ took its place.

In that moment it was as if, something tore open inside me. Almost like the hole in my chest that grows every time I lose another friend. There was something different about this though. Like that broken part was hanging on by a string this time…

I look down to the head as I open the plastic wrapping of the packet. As I clean my face, neck and hands I stare at the broken bruised face of Sora's killer, thinking back and trying to force myself to visualize how he looked like before I got my hands on him. _Did I even know his name?_ I know I must have if I spent the whole night searching for him while in a trance. But…_I can't remember it._

I lick my dry lips, and jump as the taste of blood shocks me. With a deep breath, I recall Sakura's pained expression on her face when she told me I wasn't a killer, TenTen with her gaze filled with pity and regret. With a grimace I can't help but wonder if this is how they feel. Or am I just different? No, a sharp pang hit's the string, weakening it further as I think of mum and Hana._ Did they know? Could they sense that I had this…brutality in me?_ _Is this why they left? Did Hinata sense it too?_

"Akamaru," I whisper, calling my best friend to my side as I toss the bloodied wipes onto the head lying on the floor. Once my dog leans into me I pat his thick fur, taking in strength from his warmth, and together we leave the bloodied room. Then, when the door shut behind me, the string broke.

That was the moment I finally acknowledged I was a killer.

* * *

Sora's funeral was different than the others.

There were no drinks for us to toast with, instead of shots we cried over his body. No stories filled the air, only howls.

No vows were voiced, because there was nothing to vow. His killer was dead, and the Rouges?

_Well_, I thought with a growl, _they aren't going to be around for much longer._

* * *

"Kiba…" I turn to Sakura, seeing the exhaustion in her eyes causes my wounded heart to clench. Reaching out I pull her into a hug as everyone slowly shuffle towards their rooms. The stench of from burning Sora's body still fills the air while Sakura leans into me.

"Looks like we could both use a drink." I breathe out as I pat her unnaturally colored hair. She nods into my chest and together we head towards my room where I keep my private stash of spiced rum.

Once the door closes Sakura kicks off her heels. Still dressed in her interview clothes from yesterday-though her clothes are no longer clean. Stained with the blood, sweat and ashes she looks as if she just got out of a war zone.

I look down at my jeans and black tee realizing I'm in just as bad a shape. If I stepped foot outside right now I would be arrested on the spot from all the blood coating my pants.

"Hey why don't you go hop in the shower? You look like hell."

Sakura glares at me, "So do you," she counters. I try to give her a smile, but it feels as if my face is too weak to even attempt to do so. "Whatever I'll go run to your room and pick up some pajamas for you. Just take your shower." She sighs but slowly heads towards my private bathroom as I head to grab her something to change into.

* * *

I run into Ten as I'm returning from Sakura's room.

"Hey, what do you want to do about our…guest downstairs?" She asks as she stares at me blankly, as if she can't bring herself to say the body.

I blink in confusion. Why was she even asking what to do with the body? We need to get rid of it, and the easiest way was to burn it. It's not like we could use it for anything…

My eyes widen as an idea comes to my mind.

"I have an idea but first we need to burn the body. Tomorrow Justin and Chouji can clean up the room he was in."

Ten nods, and blinks back the mental exhaustion from the past few days of hell we've all gone through.

"I'll help you with the body. Let me just drop this off for Sakura then we'll go take care of it."

I leave the clothes on my bed then go into the bathroom to take Sakura's damaged outfit. I'll buy her a new one later. For now this one needed to be destroyed, which is what I explained to her over the heavy steam. I bring a pair of sweat pants to change into downstairs after the body it disposed of so I can burn our clothes.

With Ten's help I lift the body into the incinerator. Sora's ashes have already been removed and packed into its urn so I don't worry about mixing the ashes.

I take the head but don't throw it in with the body. Instead I clean it to the best I can to remove fingerprints and make sure I damage the skin where there are bruises left from fingers. When Ten asked me what I intended to do I didn't tell her anything, instead I ordered her to bring me a cooler clean of fingerprints and filled with ice.

Once the head was on ice I burned all the contaminated clothing then put my sweats. With the worst of everything taken care of I returned upstairs to finally have my shower.

Sakura was already dressed in the large white band T-shirt and basketball shorts I grabbed for her. Sitting on the bed she stares into nothing as I grab myself a shirt and boxers before I jump into the bathroom to hopefully wash away the stench that clings to my skin.

I don't let my mind wander as the water glides down my body. Instead I focus on the simplest of tasks, scrub my chest, my groin and shampoo my hair. As I rinse the soap off of my head I feel a days' worth of stubble on my jaw.

As soon as I'm out of the shower and dressed I shave then brush my teeth. Finally somewhat clean I go to my room where Sakura still sits on the corner of the bed, a habit that she does whenever she was upset.

"Still want that drink? Or sle…" Silently she nods her head so with a sigh I go grab the Bacardi and two glasses. I fill the glasses to the brim the sit on the floor by my bed so I can lean into her legs as I down the burning drink. I heard her sputter and cough as the alcohol burns down her throat.

I chuckle. "Should have warned you about how strong this was. It's Bacardi 151, if you want something lighter I can go downstairs and grab you some of Ami's Malibu?" I offer. Sakura shakes her head, "I'm fine with this" she whispers. "I'm just not much of a drinker. I'm always worried I'll say something stupid if I get drunk out in public."

I snort. "As if you could say something stupid, miss college graduate."

I hear the smile in her tone, "Anything could happen with the magic of alcohol."

I pour some more into my glass then lean more heavily into Sakura's legs. I sip the rum as she runs her fingers through my hair. I hum out in content as nearly all my stress leaves my body.

"You killed him didn't you," she breaths out in barley a whisper.

"Yeah," I respond instinctively knowing she meant Sora's killer.

"I'm sorry."

I look up at her as her hand stills in my hair. I expected her to be crying from the way her voice sounded but I should have known Sakura wouldn't cry about this. Instead I see her pained expression, one that mirrors Ten's earlier face when she first saw the decapitated head on the floor.

"Don't be sorry," I say, "it isn't your fault." I expected her to see the logic but instead she shakes her head as the tears finally start to fall down her cheeks.

"Yes," she sobs, "it is!"

I place my glass on the floor beside me then pull Sakura down into my lap. As she sobs into my chest I gently run my hands down her back and cup her head to me.

"If…if I never left…if he didn't die…I would have stayed and kept you from going down that path!"

"No!" I almost shout as I push her back so I can see her teary face. "As much as I hate what you did, I understand it!" I see the hatred and disgust on my face reflect in her emerald eyes. "If you didn't do it I would have the instant I found out what he did to you!"

We stare at each other panting as we realized something.

"This would have happened either way Sakura," I whisper.

"I know."

With everything said and done we finish our drinks then lean into each other as we fall asleep like we used to do when we were kids.

* * *

The day after Sora's funeral, I sent the Rouges a present. Complete with a card.

Almost as if I was on auto pilot, I located the pub where I found Sora's killer. It was easy enough to bribe the bartender to give the box to the associates of the man I left with the night before. The message was a simple one, only five words. The card, typed and sealed within an envelope, sat atop a large box in brightly wrapping paper with puppies all over it and finished off with a bow. The card only had three words in it.

LOSE SOMETHING?

-FANGS

And the present? Well, it was really the cooler with the decapitated head inside.

* * *

I don't know how, maybe the present was opened around someone with a big mouth, the Rouges started spreading a message or someone else opened the present. Whatever the case, a few months after Sora's death we started to hear whispers about The Fangs. About how we're nothing but rabid dogs. How the leader is the big bad wolf that life to bite and tear people's heads off.

It wasn't until the police started snooping around that it hit me how important it is to keep a low profile. I knew I had to do something that would keep the police from looking into these rumors of murder and mayhem. I needed someone on the inside to make the name "The Fangs" vanish from the records.

With that in mind I decided to send Ami out on a mission. Her goal is to find someone who we can use, someone within the police that can alter crime reports and get rid of any evidence that could prove the Fangs exist. I didn't care how she did it; it just had to be done. I sent Justin along with her for protection as Ami is the only one of us who doesn't know how to fight. She would rather use her charm and body to get what she wants then violence.

Except in this case.

* * *

"You want to what?"

Standing in, what Ami would consider formal wear to be, a pair of jean shorts Ami crosses her arms under her breasts, making her cleavage of her tight black V-neck even more pronounced as she repeats her condition for doing this mission.

"I want to open a night club." Her English after years of living in the U.S. has finally started to flow easier though her accent is still strong.

I sigh, tossing a miniature basketball into the air then catching it only to repeat the process while I try to figure out what could have brought on this demand.

When no thought comes to mind I set the ball down then sit up on the couch. At the moment only Ami and I are the only ones at the Dog House. Everyone else is out either working one of the rings, visiting their loved ones or just out.

"What brought this on? Is it because you don't want to do it? Cause if it is-"

She shakes her head, causing her burgundy hair to swish over her shoulders. "It is not that," she whispers. Turning her head so stares at the wall where our friend's ashes are displayed.

"It's…everyone knows it is my fault. If, if I had gone back to my country. If I had not been taken by those men…they would not be gone…" Ami shut's her eye's causing tears to fall down her cheeks.

The pain in those words, the guilt, hit's me straight in my heart. _Your're wrong,_ I mentally shout, _it's my fault, not your's._

But I don't tell her this, because even if I did it wouldn't do anything. Ami trusts me to never touch her, to never hurt her, but if I tried to comfort her right now I know she wouldn't believe me.

"I need to do something," she continues as she wipes away the tears. "After this mission, I do not think it would be safe for me to work at Cyclone anymore. Because of me we were found, but I cannot run the rings. You and I know that, however I am familiar with clubs. I have listened to many customers talk about their businesses and I have even been told I give good advice as they kept coming back with more to spend." Ami turns towards me with determination in her eyes.

"I need to help protect our pack; I will not be able to do that anymore. There…are not many of us left and we need people who we can trust to bring us information. I alone am not enough and now we know I'm easy to identify. But if I have a club, if I hire and train dancers then maybe they can get the information for us."

My eyes widen as I finally understood Ami's goal. With a grin I hold out my hand towards the tiny woman.

"Ami, how soon do you want your club open?"

* * *

It would take months for Ami to locate someone we can use, so while that happens I decided to try and stretch out our smuggling business.

For a while we couldn't get much from that area, our core funding had switched to our underground fights. In order to make some serious money we would need either to change our cargo or look into some serious buyers.

We chose the latter.

* * *

The ringing in my ears is accompanied by a dizzying sensation as I see my opponent - all three of him.

I feel the floor sway beneath my feet as I lurch towards the middle one. My bloodied fist makes contact with air as he leans to the right. Suddenly I'm knocked to the left, and the ringing in my ears intensifies.

Furiously I lash out with my left leg, the spinning causing me to feel nauseous as I finally land a hit against my tenth opponent of the night. The loud dinging of the bell breaks through the ringing in my ears, marking me as the winner as I'm still somewhat on my feet.

Hands grab my shoulders, leading me towards my resting area where I can get patched up so I can go home for Sakura to fix me up. The search for new clients hasn't been going exactly as planned so Justin and I have been working our butts off to earn some extra cash in the rings for the last couple of weeks. In response to this Ten has taken over Justin's role as Ami's protection until next week.

With my head pounding away to the violent music and shouts for the next fight I slowly am lead towards the bench where I'll rest and have my winnings brought to me.

"Well that was certainly an interesting fight. And here I thought with how trashed you looked that you'd be knocked out in one hit." Slurs a sultry voice as the ringing begins to lighten up.

I don't turn to the voice, knowing that if I move so soon the ringing and the nausea would be back with a vengeance.

"Who, are you?" I wheeze out with as much dignity as I can muster.

"Hmmm who I am isn't important. It's my employer who that you want to know."

I grind my teeth against the pain as the mysterious woman leans against me and presses her breasts into my arm. I feel her lean up so her lips brush my ear. "_Orochimaru_."

I suck in a sharp breath as I take that into account. Orochimaru is one of the main people the Fang's have made an effort to not be associated with. We've deliberately gone out of our way to stay away from him so we don't' get on his bad side. He has one of the most efficient spy networks in the city and is able to learn nearly any secret in order to use and manipulate whoever he wants. Though he uses his pawns to further his political gain, he isn't afraid to throw annoyances into jail. Which he could start to see the Fang's as.

Suddenly I feel something pressed into my wounded hand.

She licks my ear before giggling. "Next week should be a good time. Most of your superficial wounds should be manageable by then." Then as quickly as she came she was gone.

* * *

The restaurant is packed, the smooth instrumental music smothers the silence that would have otherwise had made the conversations of business dealings heard from across the room-even in hushed tones. The waiter's, dressed in black ties and vests ghost from table to table replacing empty glasses and delivering the five star meals to their customers with ease.

To fit into this high class place I'm wearing a typical business suit-minus the tie-luckily the delivery woman was right, most of the swelling has gone down and the bruising has faded to a sickly yellow that along with my tattoo's is hidden beneath heavily applied make up. Sitting across from me is one man who I had hoped to never come across. One that I know could ruin my family with nothing more than a thought the instant I received the letter telling me to come to this fancy shit hole at my ring the week before.

Orochimaru.

"Now, Kiba was it? It has come to my attention that you and your...friends have been searching for work? Is that true?" asks the snake-like councilman as he sips from his red wine.

My eye's narrow as I openly glare at the pale man- unsure how he learned of my predicament or how he plans to use me and my crew.

"Well then," he grins as he sets down his glass, "you wouldn't mind doing a job for me?"

Breathing in deeply I whisper, "Depends."

Giving me a seemingly innocent smile he takes a bite from his tiny plate of weird sauce-less spaghetti. _Seriously that thing cost like $50 and it has no sauce?_ I will never understand food like that.

"Well I have a present for a friend of mine being delivered within a few days and I find myself in need someone to deliver it to him in Boston. See this present requires special care…" He grins. "And we all know that the mailmen would never treat it properly. Unfortunately I will be unable to deliver this present personally and my usual messenger is quite busy."

I put down my fork and take a sip of water as I ponder this job. From what I know about Orochimaru, he isn't the kind of person who would get his hands dirty. He is more likely to get my framed for tax fraud than anything else because as soon as the cops have me they'll find the Dog House and the Fang's would be off to Sing Sing.

_But_, I think as I eye his gold Rolex, _working for him would defiantly bring up our income. Ami can have her club sooner than later, Ten can open multiple dojo's…Choji can open his restaurant…I can finally begin to search for that blond bastard…_

I place my glass down before I take a bite out of what has got to be the more bland garlic bread ever.

"I have no problem delivering your present, but you know it won't be for free, now, right?"

Orochimaru's smile falter's a bit, but not in shock. In annoyance.

"Of course," he agrees. "Shall we say half now and half later?"

I nod before injecting my two cents. "And you're covering the gas right?"

He gives me a strained smile-it doesn't seem as if we will work with each other again.

"Of course…"

* * *

_"WHAT!"_

I wince as I cover my ears. Everybody in the basement is staring at me as if I've grown a second head. Ten is throwing darts while Choji is eating the last of the combination pizza on the couch. Ami and Justin are discussing plans for the search while Akamaru is chewing on a worn out stuffed…monkey I think.

"I got a job from Orochimaru," I repeat.

Justin is the first to respond, gently moving Ami from his lap he stands. "Kiba…are you fucking nuts?! Orochi-freaking-maru is probably the most cut throat politician in the state! And you took on a job for him?!" His incredulous stare makes me grind my teeth.

"Hey, I don't know about this," Chouji mutters while Ami nods in agreement.

Ten doesn't say anything, only stares at me.

"Look, I-I know this is a huge leap for us Orochimaru is someone no one wants to cross but we need to do this." I stop, than take a deep breath before I continue. "I need to do this and I'm doing this job alone, if I fuck up I won't bring you guys down with me. But this needs to be done, I have a promise to keep."

"Besides," I smile as I explain what the job is, "the job isn't a dangerous one. I'm just a messenger. All I have to do is deliver a package. It's not like I haven't done that before."

"You're not going in alone." Ten finally speaks. I turn to Ten, seeing the strain on her face, the worry. I grin, hopefully dulling her fears. "Sorry Ten but I'm going." My smile falls as I lay on the big picture. "The fact is the way we are now won't get us anywhere. We have a steady income from the rings but that can change at any moment. Our robberies aren't that frequently and the client's we have are few and far in between. We're going to need more if we are going to stick together. I'm going to need to do more if I'm going to find that damn blond."

* * *

"Whatever the hell Orochimaru has to deliver has got to be illegal," I whisper to myself as I eye the pier where I used to work from inside the stolen car before getting out.

All around the area are smugglers, doing the same job I used to have with Justin and Sora. I knew they would be armed, ordered to shoot anyone on sight. Because of this I walked in the shadows to the checkpoint, only to wait for nearly a half hour once I got there.

It took sometime but finally someone began walking my way dragging behind them a large wheeled suitcase. When they got closer I began to make out their features. Dark red hair, pale skin, a red tattoo on their forehead and light eyes heavily rimmed in black. We didn't say a word to each other; in fact I doubt the kid could make out my features given the darkness of the shadows.

He stopped in of me, releasing his grip on the suitcase and handed me a note. Like mine, his hands were covered in gloves to leave no fingerprints. The moment I took the note he left as silently as a ghost.

I didn't open the note until I was once again in the car. In it were directions to a secluded house residing in the edge of Boston. The trip would be roughly 4 and a half hours long so I make sure to buy some snacks at the nearest drug store before I set off to finish this job.

* * *

The trip to Boston was easy enough. The hardest part was not looking inside the package. I was so curious as to what illegal item Orochimaru brought in that I almost opened it. But fear that it might be a bomb kept me from doing so.

When I first saw the mansion I'm supposed to drop off the suitcase at, for a moment, I was star struck. It wasn't a massive extravagant place like those you see in the movies or on TV. It was a two story, and rather simple looking in its design. There were parts of it that were built in stone-like the chimney-while the rest were in wood and painted red. Of course the Iron Gate, long driveway and acres of green grass took away the simplicity of the house.

"Hmm, this is private property." Calls out a deep voice with a singing lit to it. "Who are you?" It continues.

I turn to the sound only to see double. Standing in front of me is a guy with grey hair, but he has two heads and four arms. Wearing black slacks and a custom grey shirt to fit both torsos. It's obvious they're conjoined twins but given that they are the first one's I've ever met before I don't know what to say. _Is it rude to greet one and not the other?_

"Well," the one on the left drawls. "Who are you?"

"Why are you here?" the right one asks.

My mouth falls open and for once I don't know what to say. _Who do I answer first?_ Given my confusion I don't answer either of them. I just state my business. "I'm here to deliver a present…from Orochimaru.

Slowly, grins creep onto their faces making my uneasy feeling worsens.

"Well then," the left one says. "Why didn't you say so!" The right on continues.

"I'm Ukon," said the left one. "I'm Sakon," says the right.

"Just drive straight up until you reach the front doors!" Sakon concludes as he points towards the house. "Someone will be there to pick up the present and you are free to go." Ukon explains.

I nod then wait until the gate is opened so I can enter the estate.

* * *

As I drive up to the front gate I see a petite woman with red hair and a larger guy with short orange hair. Both are dressed similarly to the twins.

"Shut the fuck up fat-ass! I told you piece of trash to stay the fuck out of my damn room!" Shrieks the redhead as I park the car.

"I was just telling you to stop playing your flute so loud." Replies the orange haired man as I step out of the car to grab the suitcase from the backseat. "Besides, Tayuya, women such as you shouldn't curse so much and don't call me fatso."

"Shut your fucking mouth!" Suddenly the voice booms my way, "Hey Red Wings! Step the hell away from the fucking car!"

I stumble as I stare at her in shock. _Red Wing's? What the hell does that mean? I_ wonder as I do what the crazy woman says.

She growls at me in passing before she goes into the car and inspects the suitcase. I tense up as she slowly opens it but relax when she gives a smirk before she closes. Obviously it's not a bomb.

"Hey, Jirōbō, call up the boss. His present from the snake is here."

After the man known as Jirōbō made his call he turned towards me. "The boss want's to thank you for coming all this way to drop off his gift. Follow Tayuya, she needs to bring that to the boss."

* * *

"What the hell does he think I am?!" Shouts Tayuya as we make our way down the hall, I make sure I'm out of her striking zone so she doesn't hit me. "His fucking maid?!"

I roll my eyes at her reaction.

"I fucking saw that Red Wings! You fucking roll your eyes at me again and you're tiny dick is going to be shoved so far up your ass that you'll choke on it!"

I almost shout out a comeback when a door opens.

"Tayuya, what have I said about the cursing?" whispers out a soft stern voice.

I look up to see a pale, tall, thin, man who has long soft blond hair so fair it's practically white. His clear green eyes look me over from head to toe as I try to understand the situation.

For once it seems as if Tayuya is silent, while she rolls the suitcase inside the room her boss just walked out of.

"I'm sorry for her rudeness," apologizes the white haired man. "Tayuya has a colorful way of speaking."

_Yeah, no kidding._

"It's cool," I reply.

"Now, please allow me to introduce myself I am Kimimaro Kaguya" he smiles at me before he places his hand on my shoulder and leading me away from the room. "Now how about a drink for all your trouble in having to come all this way and putting up with Tayuya?"

"Ah, I really shouldn't I've got a long drive back home-"

"It's best if you leave in the morning," Kimimaro counters. "If you leave this late you'll probably pass out on the road. If you wish in the morning, you can use my personal jet. The maintenance it required has been finished earlier than I expected. I had even called Orochimaru to tell him I would be able to pick up my present myself only for him to inform me it was already being delivered."

"Ah," I give him what I hope is a comfortable smile. "Just let me call my associates so they don't worry."

"Of course," Kimimaro answers. "By the way what is your name?"

"Just call me Kay."

* * *

I didn't stay the night at Kimimaro's but I did see Kimimaro more often. To the point where I didn't need jobs from Orochimaru, I had jobs from Kimimaro.

It turns out that while Kimimaro is a business man with a steady income that is not his only job. He also deals in ivory smuggling, which he does with Nagato-another person the Fang's don't want to mess with. However he does have a small hobby on the side that he hires the Fang's to help out with.

Bone smuggling.

As an anthropologist Kimimaro has an interest in the human anatomy-particularly the skeletal structure of it. And as such he hires the Fang's to get him corpses from around the world for him to study. Of course we never had to kill anyone. All of the bodies were taken from either remote places or nearby morgues. Just like the one that was in the suitcase Orochimaru sent Kimimaro as a present.

Over the years our dealing with Kimimaro would change. He would become an acquaintance rather than just a business associate. Would I ever trust him with the lives of my crew? No, but I knew him well enough that when he was dying of liver failure and wouldn't be on the transplant list due to his heavy drinking I offered my services to Orochimaru to smuggle Kimimaro a black market liver.

* * *

After I returned home from my first meeting with Kimimaro I walked in on my best friend having sex.

Akamaru, not Sakura.

I stood there in shock as my eleven year old dog was humping away on a stray reddish brown husky behind the Dog House.

"Akamaru! Where are you boy?" Shouts out Chouji in the distance, at that moment making I notice Akamaru's leash dangling loosely on his side as he pounded into the smaller dog.

Uncomfortable, I turn away from my dog to give him and his bitch some privacy.

And then nine weeks later came the puppies.

* * *

I stare at the blurry image on the screen of my laptop. At my feet a swarm of puppies chew and nibble on my feet while Ami stares at me with determination in her eyes.

"The woman in the photo is the junior detective I have chose to be our eye's and ears inside the police station. She is a single mother of a seven year old and is suffering terribly due to the recession. I looked into the case involving her-"

"You mean _my_ case. This is Kurenai Sarutobi."

Ami bites her lip. "Yes, she is the widow of the man who you were framed to have killed."

I jump up from my chair, slamming my hands on my table as I lean forward to emphasize my fury.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR DAMN MIND AMI!? Kurenai?! That woman didn't believe me when I was on trial why the hell would we trust her with protecting us from the police?" I shout in her face.

"Because she did believe you!" Ami yells.

I pull back, blinking in confusion. "What the hell are you talking about?"

She sighs before continuing. "I was able to seduce the Chief of Police, Jiraiya-san. He was very open on the matter when I brought it up. He explained that Kurenai dropped her half of the charges but the rest of the police did not believe you were innocent as she did. Since her charges were dropped you were given a much lighter sentence then you would have had they stayed. He explained you would have gone to prison instead of juvie."

I lean back into my chair as I absorb everything Ami just told me.

"There is more," Ami whispers, "when I went to investigate Miss. Kurenai herself I learned that she too is searching for the truth of what happened to her husband. I thought with her determination she can at least help us until we know the truth about why you were framed and why her husband was killed."

I look up to see her giving me a stern look. One that I've long since learned to not argue from Sakura.

"So," I ask while holding out a disposable cell phone. "What's her number?"

* * *

**A/N**

**Okay so this chapter was going to be the last one-but thanks to Kisu I realized I had too much to add so there is on more chapter after this one. And since I've got my groove back I'll have it up as soon as I can before my next quarter of school get's too hectic that I have no time to write again. **

**So there were two surprise cameo's in this chapter can anyone guess who? I didn't name them but it's pretty obvious who they are. **

**And don't forget to read the sister story of this prequel '**_**Deceiving'**_** and the story this is based on '**_**Deception'**_** by **_**Kizukatana**_**.**


	5. Part 5: Secrets

**Part 5: Secrets**

* * *

Despite my begging, Ami refused to give me Kurenai's number. She told me that getting a phone call out of the blue from her deceased husband's accused murderer wouldn't be the best idea. Because of this, I had to come up with another plan to 'meet' Kurenai. To do this Ami had given me a full on report of Kurenai's basic schedule.

As a junior detective of the Brooklyn Police, Kurenai is constantly called off on various crimes throughout the area-leaving her very little time with her seven-year-old daughter, Rumiko. As such, Rumiko, since joining school has been in various fights and even though she is so young has been suspended from school a total of 3 times as well as frequently sent home early. It was one of these moments when I decided to 'bump' into Kurenai and give her my proposal.

* * *

It was a Wednesday afternoon in December when I met Kurenai and her daughter.

The freshly fallen snow on the concrete crunches beneath my feet as I secretly tail the widowed mother and child to an old Hispanic restaurant. I sigh in relief. A public place means I can take the coincidence route. Otherwise it would be difficult to explain how we would have met in such a huge city.

I enter the restaurant, pretending to take in its surrounding's-as if I wasn't sure I wanted to eat here. In the corner there are a couple of old arcade video games-Ms. Pac-Man and Tekken-where Rumiko is currently at.

I take another step inside, searching for Kurenai when a hand grips my arm from behind.

"Why are you tailing me?" Softly demands Kurenai.

I cringe, so much for my accidental bumping into her.

"I wanted to speak to you." I answer before turning around and giving her a good look a my face.

Her mouth falls open in shock. "Kiba…"she breathes.

I nod. "Just hear me out okay? If you refuse I'll stay out of your life."

Kurenai narrows her strange red eyes-ones that I've never seen on anyone else- in calculation. After a few seconds of silence she releases me.

* * *

"I recently found out that you dropped the charges in the case." I whisper to her before I take a sip of my beer.

Kurenai watches her daughter, seeming to not pay attention to me, "I would have thought your attorney told you."

I think back to my time in court. Was there ever an instance where Conan mentioned charges being dropped? I don't recall any.

I shrug forgetting that she isn't paying any attention to me I answer her aloud. "If he did, he probably told my mum. I don't remember anything about charges being dropped."

Kurenai turns to me and I see the weariness on her face. My gut clenches in guilt. I may not have been the one to kill her husband but someone did- and that person may be the blond whom I'm hunting.

"Why did you follow me Kiba?"

I swallow down my nerves then lean in closer to her so only she can hear me whisper, "When I found out you dropped your charges I also learned that you've been searching for answers regarding your husband's death."

She tilts her head forward causing her hair falls in front of her face, hiding her strange colored eyes from view.

"Kurenai," I whisper, "what caused you to believe me?"

She takes a deep breath before answering. "I found some of my husband's old notes form a previous case he was working on. When I heard your testimony it reminded me of them." Ami lifts her head and looks me in the eye. "When I brought it up to my attorney, he told me he couldn't use it in court because the case involved a minor and the records had been sealed."

My eyes widen, she had evidence. Real, cold hard evidence that I was telling the truth! Yet still no one listened.

"Kurenai," I say to force her to look at me. "What did those notes say?"

Staring me in the eyes I see hers start to tear. "It was about an interview he had with a homeless man. This man saw a murder take place a few months before Asuma's death. In the homeless man's description he said he saw a young blond male viciously stab someone bound with two toned hair. He couldn't see the blonds face all that clearly.

I stop breathing.

_One down._..those words whisper through my mind.

"It was in a warehouse" I softly state, Kurenai nods.

I slam my fist down on the bar, causing people to look at us but I don't care. The rage I felt when I faced Sora's murderer-a rage I haven't felt in months-comes roaring back to me. The police had the evidence about the blond murderer, the probably had him in custody at some point. And yet when I show up saying that it was probably the same blond no one bats an eye.

I was framed, and the police are involved with it.

"Kiba," Kurenai breathes, trying to calm me.

"They knew."

Her eyes widen, suddenly coming to the same conclusion I did.

"They knew I was framed, and yet they let me suffer for two years in juvie-they almost sent me to prison!" I snarl.

I feel a hand on my shoulder, pushing me down and trying to prevent me from making more of a scene.

"Maybe some of them knew, but I doubt the entire police force knew of what happened. Hell, we don't even know what happened. All we know is that the key to knowing what happened back then is the blond that you saw."

I jerk my gaze to her. "Then let's find him."

Kurenai accepted my proposal that day. We decided that we would both find out what happened that night using different methods. Kurenai would continue using her status as a detective to try and get to those cases files-probably containing the blond's name- while I use illegal methods and connections to try and locate the blond. If he's still living a life of crime that is, and as an added bonus in order to keep this going for as long as we need it to, Kurenai would do her best to keep the Fang's name out of the police reports.

In truth I probably hadn't been searching hard as I should have for the blond. With a copy of Asuma's notes I was one step closer to finding out what happened the night I was arrested. And soon I would have enough power to be able to actively hunt the blond without worry.

And now that we had someone on the inside of the police, the hunt can begin.

* * *

A few days after meeting Kurenai, Sakura graduated from medical school.

The ceremony was long, there were a few hundred diploma's to give out-though Sakura later explained that it wasn't actually her diploma but a paper saying that once she paid off her student loans she will get her diploma. Which I think is total bullshit.

When it was Sakura's turn to receive her 'diploma' the Fang and her family from upstate roared with happiness. Even tears sprang from my eyes at the sight.

Sakura wearing a black cap and gown, her still pink hair curled and styled, her smiling face full of achievement and joy...She is so close to achieving her dream.

I'm proud to call myself her best friend.

* * *

"Ami, are you sure this is the place you want for your club? Ten asks with uncertainty as she brushes away a dust bunny."

"YES!" Ami screams in joy. She whips around to Ten grasping her hands as if her excitement could be infectious and force Ten to understand.

"Do you not see it? The bar will run along the back wall, over here we will have the DJ; There will be a dancing cage for the dancers and another over there and there! Ami exaggeratedly point to different sections of the run down restaurant that has been out of business for quite some time now. "The lights will be black, so white clothing glows! Oh and the walls I will paint. I have designs-"

I laugh before placing my hands on her shoulders and giving her a comforting squeeze. "Ami, Ami calm down! We'll buy this place and have the carpenters who worked on out home fix it up however you want. I mean this place is what? 50K? We can afford that."

She blinks at me, as if I'm missing something. "Ah! I see what you mean, but you are mistaken Kiba. This is not the only place I want to buy for my club."

Suddenly I'm feeling nervous. "It-it isn't?"

Ami grins mischievously. "No! I want this place and the store right next to it! So my club will be big!"

I wince. Looks like we'll have to find some more jobs soon.

* * *

"Hey Sakura, so how's it feel being a surgeon?

I hear her laugh through the phone as I walk down the street towards the Dog House. We've bought Ami's two stores and the construction is well underway now even though it's only been a month. I was just returning from a meeting with the architects as they discovered a few minor issues with the pluming. It'll be taken care of soon but it's going to cost an extra thousand to fix it.

_"I'm still an intern Kiba it will take a few months before I'm able to work on my own patients. So far all I'm doing is getting used to the environment and slowly working up my responsibilities. I'm never alone as I'm always being supervised by my mentor or the nurses. I'll still be interning for a couple of years."_

"What?! So you went through seven years of college just to be an intern? That blows."

Sakura sighs_, "It's necessary. What if an intern can't handle the mental strain? The long hours or they screw up and a patient goes into cardiac arrest or suffers unnecessary pain?"_

"You don't have those problems though. You're tougher then you look with that bubblegum hair of yours, it's deceiving. By the way have you gotten in trouble for that yet?"

I can hear her smile, "_Yes I have but my excuse is that it's to help calm my patients down. I mean pink hair? If you walk into a doctor's office and saw someone with bright green hair what would you think?"_

"That this guy is crazy."

_"Kiba!"_ She growls.

I laugh, unlocking the door then entering my home.

"Akamaru!" I call out, expecting to hear his usual welcoming bark, as I stroll towards the basement where the puppies are. Until they are completely trained we keep them down there so they don't run out when the front door opens and so they don't get into our rooms.

_"Kiba I have to go, my break's almost up. Was there a reason why you called?"_

I blink momentarily forgetting I was on the phone with Sakura. "Nothing much, just wanted to wish you a Happy Valentine's Day."

_"Awe,"_ coos Sakura. "How sweet."

I grimace. "Don't read anything into it. I'm taking pity on you because I happen to know you don't have a boyfriend and as your best friend I couldn't let you suffer through this horrible holiday alone."

_"You dick head!"_ She playfully shouts, causing me to chuckle. I hang up the phone just as I open the door to the basement, and three steps down I hear a soft whine.

Recognizing it as one of the pups I speed up a little. Just in case one of them hurt themselves. I found a couple of the puppies, Ami's Suzuka and Justin's Danny, playing tug-a-war. Chouji's puppy, Porkie, and our future guard dog Gazuka were eating and the runt of the litter, little Aku, was snuggly tucked into the crook of Akamaru's neck and shoulder.

_Huh,_ I think. _Ten must have made a run to the dojo and put Akamaru down here to watch the pups._

_Whine._

This time I recognize which pup is whining. Strolling over to Akamaru I calmly call out to Aku, the miniature reddish version of Akamaru.

"What's wrong boy? Your pop tried to cuddle with you and fell asleep?"

Surprisingly enough when I crouch down to release the small pup from Akamaru's doggy hug Akamaru doesn't wake up.

"Akamaru?" I call out as I place the runt atop of my head like I used to do with his father when he was just as small. Reaching out I gently nudge my furry best friend.

Nothing happens.

"Akamaru…this isn't funny boy come on wake up." I shake him harder.

The puppy on my head starts to while again while I hyperventilate.

_No….no, no, no._

"AKAMARU!"

* * *

We held Akamaru's funeral just as we had with the others. We spoke of our favorite memories of him, took our shots, cried and howled. This time the pups were with us, making our howls turn into a full blown pack once again.

His vet said there was no foul play in his death, that he didn't have cancer or a seizure or anything. Akamaru simply died of old age.

Sakura came to me after the funeral, holding little Aku in her arms as if he was the only thing keeping her from breaking down.

"What do I do…when someone I love dies not because of murder? Who should I be angry at? Who do I kill?" I whisper to her as I gaze down at the newly packed urn in my hands.

"No one." She answers. "It wasn't anyone's fault."

My vision blurs. "Really? 'Cause…it sure feels like it's my fault."

Careful of the pup in her arms Sakura kneels down. She whispers my name, but I don't look towards her. Insistent she reaches out and wipes away my tears. My head turns and I see the weariness in her eyes. The emptiness from seeing far too much death in her life-both inside and out of the hospital since she was 11. As well as fear.

"It wasn't your fault." She whispers before kissing me on the cheek, as if the comforting gesture would somehow lessen my pain.

But it didn't, just as it didn't stop me from being angry. That didn't stop the guilt that followed either.

When I found Akamaru that day, he had tucked Aku in the nook between his neck and shoulder tightly enough that Aku wouldn't be able to get out of alone. On some level Akamaru knew his time was up, just as he knew that I would need Aku by my side in his place from now on.

* * *

Within the following week of losing Akamaru, I broke down.

I can't rely on Sakura to comfort me again. Seeing the emptiness in her eyes told me something about her that I didn't realize before. She was becoming numb to death…and it terrified her.

Is that normal for a surgeon so early in her career? I didn't know. However, like the time with Ami I instinctively knew that if I called her I would be crossing a line in our friendship. One that I, and possibly even she, couldn't even comprehend.

I won't talk to Chouji, every time I was in his line of vision he starts sobbing so much that I'm the one comforting him. Ami and Justin wouldn't be much help either, Ami is just as bad as Chouji and Justin just keep trying to bring up Josh and all the fun he's having in high school-as if his pride and joy in his brothers accomplishments is infectious. Normally it would have been, when I was around him it felt as if his happiness depressed me more.

The only one I could talk to is Ten, she has seen me at my worst yet didn't blink an eye. Unlike Sakura she never made me feel as if I failed her. Yet even though I know this…I never called her.

No instead I spent the entire night doing something completely stupid.

I got shit faced drunk.

Like the sorry ass that I am I locked myself up in my room and drank more alcohol then I ever had before. This happened from me constantly taking shots to calm myself so I could go out and pick up a girl in the bar down the street. But every damn time I touched the door I would suddenly remember how much it hurt when I woke up alone in a hotel room with that fucking note. I couldn't bring myself to do that to anyone else. And because of Ami and Sakura the thought of picking up a hooker repulsed me. So too drunk to fight, to damn pussy to fuck, I stayed in my room alone, drunk and pathetic while I cried for my dead dog.

* * *

I don't see Sakura again until almost two weeks after her birthday.

Ten called her up after I had beaten out my frustration in the ring. The likelihood of me having a concussion was great and my right hand was swelling.

It took her a while to get to us, she had to wait till her shift ended before she could head on over. And even then it was weird. Dressed in her green scrubs, with her pink hair Sakura was also basically easer colors. Especially if the pastel blue scarf around her neck was of any importance.

She talked as little as possible, and when she talked it was very softly, which was strange. Normally Sakura would talk my ear off about my stupidity. It wasn't until Aku jumped up and yanked off her scarf that I learned why.

"Who the fuck tried to strangle you!" I shouted at the sight of her bruised neck.

Sakura flinched, then before I could yell again she answered in a scratchy voice. "A patient who was suffering from a traumatic flashback."

My eyes bug out of my head. _A patient did this?_

Her eyes narrow, already following my train of thought. "Yes Kiba, believe it or not sometimes the ER gets people who are not all that stable mentally and response negatively to treatment. They lash out at the first thing or person they see. It just so happened to be me this time." Something about her tone was off, but I quickly discard it due to her damaged vocal cords.

"Luckily the patient was pulled off me before he could do any further damage to me."

I look up at her, noticing the strange hooded look in her eyes and I know her off tone wasn't just from her bruised throat.

Sakura was keeping something from me.

* * *

In the following months since Akamaru's death the construction on Ami's club really began to take off. The snow was finally lightening up making it quicker for supplies to come as well as making more workers able to work. By the time June came around everything was practically done, Ami just needed to get her liquor license and food server's license. She already had more than half the staff chosen and getting trained including Chouji who Ami placed in charge of the kitchen. A majority of them were from the neighborhood, and none of them took jobs that Ami felt they were forcing themselves into or would be uncomfortable with. For examples, there were a surprising amount of young women who tried out to be dancers-even though it was clear they didn't want to do this. Instead of dancers they were given the jobs of waitress for the VIP section of the club.

Some of these women who tried out to be dancers were actually hookers sent by The Rouges or other organizations with the intention of spying on The Fangs. Ami had a distinctively good eye in figuring out who these women were. Justin had to help her figure out which muscle was sent to not. The muscle part was tricky, Justin can't point out everyone. When it comes to people who know how to kill in various ways they tend to perfect the art of looking innocent. So in order to protect Ami, Justin decided he would work with Ami at the club in order to watch her back, thus leaving me in charge of the rings, where I spent most of my time duking out my frustration, while Ten took care of the dojo.

With money coming from all around the Fang's soon fell into a comfortable groove, so much so that we began buying other buildings on the strip, ones that were closing or foreclosed and began remodeling them-hiring back as many of the previous families as possible to run the future new stores. Eventually the people in the upcoming years would began to respect us. We provided them with the jobs they once had or some new ones such as a casino. The Fang's were the ones they paid the rent to, somehow giving us the appearance of a legal company rather than a crime syndicate.

* * *

Ami's club officially opened in the beginning of August.

The name, Vixin's Club, glows above the entrance way in bright red while the black lights glow just below the entrance for people to get their neon wrist bands for in and out options and also a coat checking place. The inside is exactly as Ami described it, the black lights lit the room making the blue, green and purple squares on the floor glow, while strobe lights hit the chandelier on the ceiling, bouncing rain bow lights off the fancy light piece like a disco ball. The walls weren't painted as brightly as the floor, instead the paint was a deep blue and purple that glitters and shine like a brand new car.

On the sides of the rooms, where the ceilings were lower, are tables and booths. Each table has a clear pole standing straight in the middle and reaches the ceiling. There were four cages for single dancers or duos. The bars on the cages were made of the same clear material as the poles-the only difference is the bars are molded out into more elegant shapes rather than the plane dancing poles. However in two of the cages, diagonally across from one corner of the dance floor to the other, there was a pole in the middle that matted the ones on the tables. The stage for the DJ was elevated, preventing the customers from crawling up to try and take over in their drunken stupidity. On either side of the DJ were three more dancers, as if to say-'hey you could be up here too'.

The bar did stretch along the back. But it wasn't from wall to wall. In the far right corner was a stair case that leads to the VIP upper section of the club while the left corner leads to one of the customer bathrooms. The VIP upper section is separated into multiple private rooms along the second floor including a few special ones Ami reserves for the Fang's only, have bullet proof tinted windows to look over the dance floor below. Right above the bar is the private dance floor for the VIP's where the walls are painted a pale blue and the furniture is white. There are no poles in the VIP dance floor instead the dancers are given a stage that slowly rotates in the middle of the room.

It was in the VIP dance floor on opening night where I next encountered Orochimaru's messenger.

* * *

Unlike the music downstairs that pulsates through the room, the music in the VIP section wasn't nearly as deafening. It's more manageable volume made it so people could actually talk rather than make wild gestures or shout to the point they wouldn't be able to speak in the morning.

I sip, my water, leaning back into the white comfy couch as I watch the dancers slowly move to the music. On my right Ten is eyeing the one in the middle with short black hair and a lean figure. When I take a closer look at the dancer I notice she's actually making eye contact with Ten. I lean towards my weapons specialist to whisper in her ear.

"You know Ami will throw a fit if you try to sleep with one of her dancer's right?"

She smirks. "Yeah but..." she bites her lip, causing the dancer to take in a shuddering breath. "Ah screw it." Taking a down a shot Ten stands, wearing form fitting leggings, ankle boots and a long silk tank top Ten looks pretty damn hot-especially with her hair down for once. She give me a wink before she strolls over to the Hispanic dancer she's been eyeing all night. I watch them talk for a few before they go off to a private room. I shake my head. Though Ami told her dancer's they can't sleep with customers-she also explained that the us, Ten and I, weren't customers or employers. That dancer probably figured that was a loop hole she could by pass.

Now alone I reach for my phone, turning it on I see there's a new text from Sakura.

_Hey sorry I can't make it to opening night, something came up at work. I'll see if I can come by tomorrow._

I furrow my brow; I could have sworn Sakura took the day off for this event. It's odd for her to blow this off, especially since she knows how important this is for Ami. Again I sense that Sakura is keeping things from me, but I don't let it overwhelm me. She's a doctor now, by law she will keep secrets due to doctor patient confidentiality. It's possible I heard her wrong and maybe she said she was on call. Whatever, it just leaves me with nothing else to do, and no one to hang out with. Justin was working the doors, Ami was making sure everything was running smoothly and Chouji was making the food for the VIP section.

With a sigh I down the rest of my water, about to get up when I hear footsteps heading my way.

I look up to see a woman a little older than me, wearing tan button down over a mesh shirt, orange mini skirt and knee high boots she defiantly stood out against the crowd. She gives me a man eating grin and I suddenly my pants felt way too tight.

Taking over Ten's previous seat she leans in close and whispers, "nice place." Then she flicks her tongue on my cheek.

And just like that, my boner deflated.

"You," I growl instantly recognizing her voice. "What the fuck does _he_ want now?"

Anko laughs, "That's no way to talk to women."

"What does Orochimaru want?" I demand.

Leaning back with a pout, Anko gives me the nastiest glare I have ever seen. "What makes you think that he wants something? I could just be here to have a good time."

I snarl, "What does he want?"

With a sigh Anko leans back into the couch, crossing her legs provocatively she tries to run her foot up my leg. I slap it away.

"There's a young man who's been busy working his way up the social ladder…" she starts with a knowing smirk. I feel my heart drop.

_Fuck no._

"Let me guess, he wants us to 'take care' of him?" I let my eyes narrow, showing the fury at the thought of being a hired gun. She rolls her eyes. "Not in the way you're thinking." Taking a sip from her vodka Anko takes a moment of silence before she answers my question.

"My employer is rather…intrigued by this young lawyer. He want's him to get far in his career as quickly as possible. And to do so…" She turns towards me, so close her lips brush against my ear. "He needs the competition removed. What he wants you to do is place some…things in a few not so respectable lawyers homes where the police will find them." She took another sip.

I my eyes widen. Orochimaru wants us to frame, people?!

"No."

She blinks, and then as if she didn't hear me correctly she tilts her head my way. "What was that?"

"I said no." My eyes narrowing as I give her a toothy grin. "I take that back, _fuck_ no. That's my final answer."

"Do you understand what you've done?"

"Yes. My crew and I won't take place in framing innocent people."

With a snarl she grabs me by the collar of my shirt and yanks me so close to her out breath intermingles. "These people _aren't_ innocent. They've done things that in a court of law would have them lose their license. All you and your pups would be doing is making these people more obvious."

"I don't trust you. I don't trust that snake, so for all I know every last word that just came out of your cunt of a mouth was a big fat lie. Go tell your boss the answer is no."

She whispers, "You'll do as he says. Orochimaru can be very persuasive."

Then Anko left.

If I had thought rationally I would have talked to the rest of my crew before giving the final answer to Orochimaru's request. If I had taken the threat from one of the most corrupt politicians in New York truly seriously I wouldn't have relaxed after a month of nothing happening.

But I didn't take it seriously.

* * *

In October I got a call from Ten shortly after Sakura left from tending to Justins hand from a nasty brawl in the ring.

"Ten what's up? Did Sak-"

"Kiba…" Ten whispers the fear in her voice enough to have me shut-up and freeze. "I-I-I I don't know how she did it….Oh my god…"

"Ten! What happened!"

"It's so gross…" She whispered, sounding as if she's trapped in a daze. "I-she-I need to clean this! She can't see this! She can't see what she's done!" Ten suddenly screams.

"TEN! WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED! WHO DID WHAT?!"

_"SAKURA!"_ Was all she shouted before she hung up.

* * *

It took a while but finally Ten and Sakura came back to the Dog House. Sakura was wearing different clothes and looked as if she belonged in a woman's protection house.

According to Sakura she was attacked by an unknown assailant who beat her into demanding her ties to the Fang's. Sakura fainted, possibly due to a concussion and woke up after Ten had changed her clothes. According to Sakura's half of the story Ten said it was a Rouge who attacked her, and that Ten was the one who took care of him.

Later after Sakura was safely tucked into her room Ten told me her half.

"I lost sight of her around the church," Ten starts slowly while sitting on the corner of my bed with her arms wrapped around her. "The instant I noticed she was gone I searched for her. It probably took me ten, maybe fifteen minutes to find her." Ten's eyes close, then she shudders as if the mental image scared her to even think about.

"Her voice was what lead me to her," she whispers. "It took me a moment to understand what she was saying but the closer I got the louder it became, the more…terrifying it sounded. Then the stench. Oh god." Ten brings her hands to her face, covering her mouth to protect it from some hellish memory of the she couldn't stand.

I sit next to her slowly bringing my arm around her shoulder to tuck her into my side. Hoping that the sense of someone being with her would be enough to calm her down. This is the first time I've ever had to comfort Ten. "Was it really a Rouge?" I ask. Ten shakes her head.

"N-no…I mean…I don't know!" She wails. Carefully I rock her, calming her down so I can continue questioning her.

"What did she say?"

It took her a moment to breathe in but what she said made my blood run cold.

_"I'm Sakura. Not Mebuki."_

* * *

I spent that night too afraid to sleep for fear that the nightmares of Sakura's insanity would return with a vengeance. The images Ten painted of how Sakura destroyed her attacker left much to the imagination. What was worse is Sakura had no memory of committing her second murder. She truly believe Ten is the one who killed the Rouge.

The next day a letter was delivered to Vixin's Club addressed to me.

The person who delivered it was Anko.

In the envelope was a letter and a picture from elementary school. In the photo Sakura and I were covered in paint from our poor attempt to finger paint.

The letter made my blood run cold.

_Care to rethink your answer?_

* * *

Needless to say I took Orochimaru's threats seriously from then on and accepted the job to frame the politicians for him. It was a team job, to sneak into high security places so I eventually told the rest of my crew what happened and explained why Sakura was attacked. Of course, after everyone gave me shit for accepting his first proposal so long ago they agreed to perform the framing even though it goes against what they believed. All we had to do is plant the evidence and make sure the lawyer never found out.

Soon to Orochimaru's delight the young lawyer he was trying so hard to build up, Sasuke Uchiha, was soon able to take matters into his own hands. Gaining knowledge about his competition before Orochimaru was able to send it to me to plant Sasuke was ruthless in the papers and due to his looks was able to easily win over the female population. Eventually Orochimaru had no need for me to frame anyone. Sasuke destroyed them just as efficiently and by the time he would be 25 he's already be a councilmen.

However just because he didn't have any intentions to use the Fang's for a while doesn't mean we escaped his control. He still had the leverage to hurt us, starting with our weakest link; Sakura.

I had to change that.

* * *

"Shino, it's been a while." I great to the brown haired man as Ten and the dogs escort him into the booth secluded room of Vixin's.

"It has, why? Because you have not contacted me since congratulating me on my graduation from medical school."

I give him a sheepish grin, "Sorry about that a lot has happened."

He nods in understanding. "Shino? Remember when you said you owed me one?"

"Of course."

I sigh in relief. "Good, I'm going to be cashing that in now." I turn my tablet over to him revealing Sakura graduation photo. "I need to you protect this woman. Her name is Sakura."

Shino takes the tablet in his hand, eyeing my best friend with a professional eye. "Protect her from what?"

"Recently her life had been threatened." I explain, keeping out the information that it has been threatened by Orochimaru. "I can't keep her protected all the time. She's agreed to move into what I consider my territory but anything beyond that is out of my control. The hospital she works at is far and she's too damn stubborn to leave it. I was hoping that if you have no trouble with it you could protect her and report of any suspicious characters that encounter her."

He raises an eye brow. "You want me to transfer to her hospital and befriend her? Using this cover to watch out for her 24 hours a day?"

I wince. "No…nothing that serious. I know you can't be with her 24 hours a day but I just need to know that someone would be close by to her should anything happen."

It took a while for Shino to answer, but finally he accepts the offer and suddenly a huge weight is lifted off of my chest.

"Oh and one more thing. Don't ask her about her hair."

* * *

**A/N**

**One more chapter to go. I mean it this time. **

**ONE. MORE. CHAPTER.**

**And just wanted to say excited to have posted this on Naruto's birthday! I havent't done that before and with the manga ending soon I'm sure this would have been my last chance to do so.**


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